tfff 


Lib, 


THE   BEGINNER'S   GARDEN   BOOK 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK    •    BOSTON   •    CHICAGO  •    DALLAS 
ATLANTA    •    SAN    FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &   CO.,  LIMITED 

LONDON  •    BOMBAY  •    CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  LTD. 

TORONTO 


THE 

BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

A   TEXTBOOK   FOR   THE 
UPPER   GRAMMAR  ;GRADES 


BY 
ALLEN   FRENCH 

AUTHOR  OF  "HOW  TO  GROW  VEGETABLES 


gorfc 

THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 
1914 

All  rights  reserved 


COPYRIGHT,  1914, 
BY  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  May,  1914. 

Main  Lib.  ^ 


Xortooot 

J.  S.  Gushing  Co.  — Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

ONE  of  the  most  striking  educational  movements  of  recent 
times  is  toward  the  interesting  of  children  in  gardening. 
State  boards  of  education,  local  school  boards,  and  local  home 
gardening  associations  have  all  encouraged  and  superintended 
the  work.  The  advantages  are  very  plain,  and  in  both  town 
and  country  two  are  chief.  In  the  first  place,  children,  whether 
through  an  awakened  love  of  flowers  or  an  understanding  of 
the  economic  value  of  vegetables,  are  brought  into  direct  con- 
tact with  nature,  and  must  necessarily  profit,  mentally  and 
physically.  In  the  second  place,  children  are  kept  busy  who 
otherwise  might  be  idle  through  the  weeks  of  vacation.  They 
learn  to  work,  they  understand  the  values  created  by  work, 
and  they  gain  from  this  both  self-respect  and  respect  for 
property.  Gardening  thus  becomes  a  lesson  in  civics.  In 
addition,  in  country  towns  intensive  agriculture,  our  depend- 
ence in  the  future,  must  be  stimulated  by  gardening.  The 
garden  movement  is,  for  all  these  reasons,  of  even  national 
importance. 

This  book  is  offered  as  a  textbook  of  gardening  for  the 
upper  grammar  grades.  It  covers  not  merely  the  school  work 
indoors  and  out,  but  also  the  work  of  gardening  at  home. 
Thus  it  has  a  wide  field,  and  at  the  same  time  follows  the 
natural  activities  of  the  school  year.  From  his  own  knowl- 
edge of  gardening,  as  well  as  from  his  acquaintance  with  the 
school  and  home  gardening  work  at  Concord,  Massachusetts, 
the  author  is  certain  that  the  book  is  practical. 

The  divisions  of  the  book  explain  themselves.  Beginning 
with  the  fall  work  at  the  opening  of  school,  and  following  the 


380624 


VI  PREFACE 

course  of  the  year,  the  garden  cycle  is  completed.  The  teacher 
is  advised  to  study  beforehand  the  indoor  experiments,  in 
order  to  make  sure  that  the  materials  are  such  that  the  lesson 
can  be  properly  explained.  During  these  experiments  plenty 
of  seeds  and  seedlings  should  be  at  hand. 

While  the  book  is  designed  for  use  in  schools,  it  need  not 
be  so  confined.  Its  scope  and  its  practical  treatment  fit  it  for 
the  use  of  all  beginners  in  gardening,  of  whatever  age. 

Acknowledgment  is  made  to  Professors  L.  H.  Bailey,  G.  W. 
Warren,  and  C.  A.  Stebbens  for  the  use  of  illustrations  from 
their  books.  And  both  author  and  publisher  take  this  oppor- 
tunity to  thank  J.  M.  Thorburn  and  Company,  seedsmen,  of 
New  York  City,  for  supplying  numerous  photographs  for  use 
in  this  volume. 

The  author  desires  to  acknowledge  with  thanks  the  assist- 
ance of  Wilfrid  Wheeler,  of  Concord,  Massachusetts.  His 
experience  as  a  practical  horticulturist,  as  well  as  his  knowl- 
edge gained  as  member  of  the  Concord  Home  Gardening 
Association,  of  the  school  committee  of  the  town,  and  of  the 
State  Board  of  Education,  have  made  his  advice  in  planning 
and  writing  the  book  of  the  greatest  assistance. 

ALLEN  FRENCH. 
CONCORD,  MASSACHUSETTS, 
March  1,  1914. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


SECTION  I 
THE  AUTUMN  WORK 

PTER 

I.  THE  PURPOSE  OF  A  PLANT 

II.  THE  SAVING  OF  SEED  . 

III.  PICKING 

IV.  GOING  INTO  WINTER  QUARTERS 
V.  POTTING  FOR  THE  WINTER  . 


1 
8 

14 
25 
33 


VI. 
VII. 


SECTION    II 

THE   WINTER   WORK 
NOTES  AND  ACCOUNTS  . 


A  SEED  AND  ITS  GROWTH   . 

VIII.  THE  TESTING  OF  SEED 

IX.  THE  LIFE  OF  A  PLANT 

X.  VARIOUS  WAYS  OF  GROWING  PLANTS 

XL  THE  SOIL 

XII.  THE  SOIL  WATER   "     . 

XIII.  PLANT  CHEMISTRY        . 

XIV.  HUMUS 

XV.  THE  KINDS  OF  PLANTS 


40 
49 
57 
65 
73 
82 
88 
97 
104 
109 


SECTION   III 

GARDENING   UNDER   GLASS 

XVI.     THE  FLATS 

XVII.     SEEDING  THE  FLATS     .        . 
XVIII.     THE  SEEDLINGS,  INDOORS    . 
XIX.    POTTING 


116 
121 
127 
134 


Vlll 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

XX.     THE  HOUSE  PLANTS 

PAGE 

.    141 

XXL     HOT-BEDS  AND  COLD-FRAMES 

.     146 

XXII.     THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  FRAMES 

.     153 

XXIII.     OTHER  PLANT  PROTECTORS  . 

.     164 

SECTION   IV 

THE  REAL   GARDEN 

XXIV.     STARTING  THE  OLD  GARDEN 

.     168 

XXV.     THE  GARDEN  SITE 

.     171 

.     176 

XXVII     PFREXNIAL  PLANTS 

193 

XXVIII.     BULBS  AND  TUBERS 

.     201 

XXIX.     SHRUBS     

.     207 

XXX.     ROSES       

.     213 

XXXI.     VINES        

.        .         .219 

XXXII.     THE  FRUIT  GARDEN 

.         .         .229 

XXXIII.     GARDEN  TOOLS        .... 

.     239 

XXXIV.     PREPARING  THE  SOIL 

.     248 

XXXV.    PLANTING         

.     263 

XXXVI.     THE  SEEDLINGS,  OUTDOORS  . 

.     269 

XXXVII.     TRANSPLANTING       .... 

.    277 

XXXVIII.     PLANT  ENEMIES      .... 

.     284 

XXXIX.     PLANT  FRIENDS       .... 

.     291 

XL.     GARDEN  MANAGEMENT  . 

.     296 

XLI      THE  LAWN               .... 

.     304 

APPENDICES 

I.     PLANTING  LIST    

.     311 

II.     PLANTING  TABLE        

.     380 

.     388 

.     390 

392 

THE   BEGINNER'S   GARDEN   BOOK 


THE   BEGINNER'S   GARDEN 
BOOK 

SECTION  I 
THE  AUTUMN  WORK 

CHAPTER  I 
THE  PURPOSE  OF  A  PLANT 

IT  is  interesting  to  consider  that  nations  ceased  to  be 
savage  when  they  gave  up  wandering  and  settled  down. 
They  could  not  settle  in  one  place  without  a  constant  supply 
of  food,  and  this  they  got  by  farming.  Farming,  or  agri- 
culture, which  thus  supports  civilization  by  supplying  men's 
needs,  led  the  way  to  gardening,  or  horticulture.  Gardening 
supplies  pleasures  in  the  shape  of  delicate  food  or  beautiful 
plants.  It  may  be  made  a  business,  and  is  then  one  of  the 
healthiest  and  most  interesting ;  or  it  may  be  carried  on  in 
one's  spare  time,  for  pleasure ;  or  it  may  be  made  to  give  both 
pleasure  and  profit. 

A  garden  may  be  called  a  plot  of  ground  in  which  plants 
are  made  to  do  their  best.  Gardening  therefore  means  the 
careful  rearing  of  plants,  giving  each  what  it  most  needs. 
This  rules  out  laziness  and  indifference ;  it  calls  for  thought 
and  pains.  Gardening  for  beginners  should  not  mean  hard 
work  unless  it  is  carried  on  for  money  or  unless  one  has 
mistakenly  laid  out  too  large  a  plot.  Properly  carried  on, 
gardening  should  mean  a  little  regular  work  each  day. 

Although  at  first  sight  garden  plants  are  entirely  unlike, 
they  are  alike  in  certain  ways.  Each  has  root,  stem,  and 

B  1 


2  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

leaves,  and  each  has  the  same  purpose.  This  purpose  is  of 
course  unconscious;  but  it  is  nature's  chief  care  that  each 
plant  shall  make  seed.  The  seed  is  made  by  means  of  flowers. 
If  man  did  not  interfere,  the  plants  that  are  alive  to-day 
would  go  on,  year  after  year,  blossoming  and  making  seed 


FIG.  1.  —  THE  CHILD  AND  ITS  GARDEN. 

A  garden  should  be  in  proportion  to  the  strength  of  the  gardener.      Note 
the  child's  small  patch. 

from  which  other  plants  would  grow.  This  is  true  not  only 
of  plants  that  sprout  and  die  within  a  single  summer,  but 
also  of  a  tree  that  will  live  a  thousand  years.  And  although 
nature  has  other  ways  to  make  plants,  of  which  man  takes 
advantage,  and  although  man  interferes  with  the  natural 
growth  of  plants  in  the  strangest  ways,  such  as  making  a 
plant  grow  from  a  leaf,  it  is  still  true  that  the  most  important 


THE  PURPOSE  OF  A   PLANT  3 

purpose  of 'every  plant  is  to  make  its  seed.     The  means  by 
which  it  does  this  we  need  to  study. 

When  root  and  stem  and  leaf  are  all  doing  their  work 
together  so  successfully  that  the  plant  has  more  strength  than 
it  needs  for  mere  living,  or  growing,1  it  prepares  to  make 
a  flower.  Somewliere  on  its  stalk  (and  some  plants,  like  the 
lettuce  or  the  foxglove,  will  make  a  stalk  if  they  haven't  one 
already)  it  makes  a  flower-bud.  This  presently,  on  its  own 


SECTION 
or  FLOWER 

FIG.  2.  —  THE  PARTS  OF  A  FLOWER. 

They  are  all  shown  together  in  4,  where  they  combine  for  the  making  of  the 
seed,  shown  at  the  bottom  of  the  pistil. 

little  stalk,  makes  a  blossom.  And  the  blossom  has  four  im- 
portant sets  of  parts. 

Outside  of  all,  seldom  to  be  used  again  when  once  the 
bud  has  opened,  is  a  set  of  usually  green  sepals  called  the 
calyx.  It  protects  the  bud. 

Inside  the  calyx  is  a  set  of  colored  petals  called  the  corolla. 
When  once  they  open  out,  they  are  the  most  noticeable  part 
of  the  flower,  make  it  different  from  every  other  kind,  and 
serve  to  attract  bees.  It  is  the  corolla  that  we  usually 
admire  in  a  flower. 

Nature,  however,  does  her  work  through  the  two  remaining 
sets  of  parts.  First  are  the  stamens.  There  are  usually 
three  or  four,  and  often  many,  to  a  blossom.  They  are  made 

1  This  is  the  natural  course.    When  a  plant  is  injured,  it  often  flowers. 


4  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

of  little  stalks,  called  filaments,  on  which  are  fixed  heavier 
parts,  called  the  anthers.  The  anthers  make  a  fine  dust, 
called  pollen,  which  the  wind  or  the  bees  can  carry 
about. 

The  stamens  are  ranged  in  the  middle  of  the  blossom, 
around  the  pistil  or  pistils,  the  second  important  part.  A 
pistil  is  a  stalk,  with  a  somewhat  sticky  tip,  and  a  hollow  base 
called  the  ovary,  which  may  be  translated  egg-holder,  or 
seed  vessel. 

The  scent  of  the  flower,  and  its  nectar,  from  which  bees 
make  honey,  serve  to  attract  insects,  and  these  carry  the 
pollen  from  flower  to  flower. 

This  description  suits  very  well  a  flower  that  is  regular  in 
form,  such  as  a  Shirley  poppy.  Here  you  can  see  at  once  the 

various  parts  :  the  calyx 
below,  the  delicate  and 
beautiful  corolla,  the 
stamens  in  their  circle, 
adding  greatly  to  the 
beauty  of  the  flower, 

FIG.  3.  —  Many  of  the  pistils  of  this  ear  J 

of  com  received  no  pollen.  and  in  the  middle   the 

pistil.     But  as  soon   as 

you  find  a  double  blossom,  such  as  one  of  the  double  poppies ; 
or  when  you  see  an  irregular  flower,  such  as  the  nasturtium 
or  sweet  pea ;  or  when  you  study  a  compound  flower,  such 
as  the  daisy  or  the  scabiosa,  then  the  parts  are  more  difficult 
to  distinguish.  Nevertheless,  the  description  is  still  generally 
true,  although  flowers  vary  in  innumerable  ways.  It  may  be 
that  some  one  part  is  missing ;  that  by  having  the  stamens 
and  pistils  on  different  blossoms,  two  flowers  are  needed  to 
do  the  work  of  one  (as  in  the  corn  and  some  strawberries)  ; 
or  that  the  flower  is  so  changed  in  looks  as  scarcely  to  seem 
a  flower  at  all.  Nevertheless,  there  will  always  be  at  least 


THE  PURPOSE  OF  A   PLANT 


the  pollen  and  the  ovary,  with  the  parts  that  hold  them,  and 
some  other  parts  as  well. 

For  simple  study,  in  plants  easily  procured  in  the  fall  of 
the  year,  the  following  are  best :  among  flowers,  poppies, 
nasturtiums,  pansies,  petunias,  snapdragons,  sweet  peas; 
among  vegetables,  squash  and  tomatoes. 

The  work  of  the  flower  is  as  follows:  The  pollen  must 
first  be  carried  to  the  stigma,  or  sticky  part  of  the  pistil. 
This  is  done  by  means  of  the  wind,  by  simply  falling  down- 
ward, or  by  the  help  of  bees,  who  carry  the  floury  pollen 
upon  their  fuzzy  legs.  Once  a  pollen 
grain  has  reached  the  stigma,  the  grain 
opens  and  its  contents  work  into  the 
pistil  until  they  reach  the  ovary.  Here 
they  find  an  ovule,  or  the  beginning 
of  an  egg  or  seed,  which  cannot  be 
complete  until  the  pollen  reaches  it. 
The  two  unite,  and  at  once  the  seed  be- 
gins to  form.  When  complete  and  ripe, 
the  seed  is  ready  to  make  a  new  plant. 

Seeds  take  hundreds  of  different 
forms.  If  we  look  at  an  apple,  an 
orange,  a  bean,  and  a  peanut,  we 
shall  begin  to  see  how  widely  seeds 
differ.  The  apple  and  orange  are  not  the  pear, 
seeds  alone ;  they  are  fruit  as  well,  for 

fruit  is  the  seed  and  its  envelope,  or  covering.      Here   are 
some  common  examples  of  the  different  kinds  of  fruit. 

The  apple  and  pear  contain  seeds,  but  their  chief  part 
is  the  calyx,  which  during  the  summer  becomes  fleshy. 

The  strawberry's  pulpy  part  is  the  end  of  the  flower- 
stalk,  which  is  thickened  like  the  calyx  of  the  apple.  The 
seeds  are  carried  on  the  surface. 


6 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


The  fig  and  pineapple  are  the  crowded  parts  of  many 
flowers,  ripening  on  the  stem  which  held  them  all. 

Most  changes  in  the  form  of  fruits  are 
made  by  the  wall  of  the  ovary,  which  is  called 
the  pericarp.  This  changes  in  all  possible 
ways.  With  the  bean  it  becomes  thin  and 
dry,  the  pod.  But  with  the  gooseberry  it 
becomes  fleshy,  inside  the  outer  covering. 
With  the  peach  the  inner  parts  of  the  peri- 
carp become  most  strikingly  different,  one 
part  being  fleshy  and  delicious,  the  other 
stony,  to  protect  the  seed. 

Sometimes  the  pericarp  seems  to  become 
a  part  of  the  seed,  its  skin,  as  with  the 
wheat  and  corn. 

Sometimes  the  pericarp  is  surrounded,  or 
partly  surrounded,  by 
another  covering,  as 
with  the  burr  of  the  chestnut,  the 
sheaf  of  the  hazel-nut,  or  the  cup  of 
the  acorn. 

Fruits  often  combine  many  seeds. 
This  is  true  of  the  squashes  and 
melons,  the  ear  of  corn,  and  the  to- 
mato. Fewer  at  a  time  are  to  be 
found  in  the  legumes,  or  podded 
plants,  such  as  the  pea.  The  cones 
of  pines  and  firs  contain  seeds  at  the 
bases  of  the  scales. 

Considering   this   list   of   very  dif- 
ferent fruits,  one  easily  sees  that  the  seed  does  not  always 
come  bare  and  naked  from  the  plant.     Indeed,  many  seeds 
fall  from  the  plant  while  still  embedded  in  the  fruit,  and 


FIG.  5.  —  Bal- 
sam pod. 


FIG.    6.  —  Balsam  pod 
exploding,   scattering   the 


THE  PURPOSE  OF  A   PLANT  7 

become  free  from  it  only  when  it  rots.  There  are  some 
pericarps,  however,  which  cling  to  the  plant  rather  than 
to  the  seed.  Such  pericarps  open  and  allow  the  seed  to  es- 
cape, as  with  the  ripe  pea  and  bean,  and  all  legumes.  The 
larkspur,  the  columbine,  and  the  poppy  all  do  the  same, 
and  the  ripe  seeds  are  shaken  abroad  in  order  to  lodge  in 
the  earth. 

Until  man  left  his  wandering,  and  took  to  settled  life, 
plants  took  care  of  the  work  of  seeding  themselves.  The 
seed  fell  by  chance,  and  struck  root  if  it  could.  Such  seed- 
ing still  takes  place  in  all  wild  spots,  such  as  the  woods  and 
the  fence  rows,  where  the  trees  and  the  weeds  are  always 
struggling  for  a  chance  to  live.  But  thousands  of  years  ago 
men  discovered  that  the  best  way  to  provide  vegetable 
food  was  to  grow  plants  in  good  earth,  with  plenty  of  space, 
and  protected  from  struggle.  The  first  step  to  this  was  the 
saving  of  seed. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  When  a  savage  tribe  gives  up  wandering,  why  does  the  culti- 
vation of  the  soil  become  necessary  ? 

2.  Explain  the  difference  between  gardening  and  farming.     What 
is  a  garden  ? 

3.  In  what  way  are  all  plants  alike? 

4.  What  is  the  purpose  of  a  plant  ? 

5.  What  does  a  plant  need  before  it  can  flower  ? 

6.  What  are  the  parts  of  a   common  flower  ?     What  are  the 
necessary  parts?     The  work  of  a  flower? 

7.  What  is  a  seed  ?    A  fruit  ?    Give  examples. 

8.  In  what  ways  do  plants  scatter  seed  ? 


CHAPTER  II    . 
THE  SAVING  OF  SEED 

ONE  of  the  most  important  things  in  gardening  is  to  have 
good  seed.  This  is  because  good  plants  cannot  come  from 
poor  seed,  and  because  it  is  scarcely  worth  while  to  labor  over 
poor  plants, 

A  hundred  years  ago  almost  ?  ^ry  gardener  and  farmer 
saved  his  own  seed.  No^.^aa^s  the  growing  of  seed  is  a 
business  in  itself.  It  is  a  work  of  great  care,  and  most  people 
find  it  simpler  and  cheaper  to  buy  seed  than  to  grow  it. 

Nevertheless,  nearly  every  one  can  profitably  save  some 
seed.  It  is  so  easy  to  pay  a  few  cents  for  a  packet  of  seed 
that  we  do  not  recollect  that  with  certain  kinds  it  is  cheaper 
to  save  than  to  buy.  People  are  said  to  be  wasteful  nowa- 
days :  here  is  a  chance  to  be  thrifty.  Again,  by  watching 
for  especially  fine  plants,  we  may  be  able  to  save  a  little  finer 
seed  than  we  can  buy.  And  finally,  by  saving  seed  of  the 
same  kind  for  a  few  years  we  may  develop  plants  which  will 
do  better  in  our  district  than  any  that  can  be  obtained  at  the 
store.  These  are  three  very  good  reasons,  then,  for  saving 
certain  kinds  of  seed. 

I  do  not  mean  that  we  should  try  to  make,  that  is,  to 
breed,  new  kinds  of  plants.  That  is  a  difficult  work.  The 
plant-breeder  crosses  two  kinds  of  plants ;  that  is,  he  brings 
the  pollen  of  one  to  the  pistil  of  another.  The  parent  plants 
he  chooses  for  the  qualities  (color,  shape,  size,  flavor)  which 
he  wishes  to  mix  together  in  the  new  plants.  He  saves  the 

8 


THE  SAVING   OF  SEED  9 

seed,  raises  plants  from  it,  and  keeps  only  those  which  suit 
him.  These  he  crosses  again,  saves  the  seed  again,  and  so 
goes  on,  year  after  year,  in  the  work  of  producing  the  kind 
of  plant  that  he  has  set  his  heart  on.  In  this  way,  by  the 
patient  work  of  men  whose  names  we  seldom  hear,  were 
produced  the  fine  varieties  which  any  one  can  buy  for  little 
money. 

The  work  of  selecting  seed  is  different.  We  let  the  plants 
breed  as  they  will,  but  keep  on  the  watch  for  especially  fine 
ones  of  the  kind  that  we  like  best 
or  need  most.  From  these  we  save 
the  seed,  hoping  for  at  least  as  good 
results  next  year.  W.  depqnd, 
therefore,  a  good  deal  upo.ft  I 
dent,  but  also  much  upon  our  own 
taste. 

For  any  one  with  a  garden  that 
is   near    other    gardens,    as    is    a 

School    plot,    the    Value    of    Saved        FIG.   7. The     new    round 

Seed  is  often  very  slight.      For  the    tomato,  as  compared  with  the 
.     ,  T  smaller,    grooved,    older    kind. 

wind  and  the  bees  are  always  busy  The  result  of  breeding. 
in  crossing  neighboring  plants,  so 

that  a  single'  plant  in  one  garden  may  have  been  pollenized 
from  two  or  three  neighboring  plots.  Seed  from  such  plants 
cannot  be  depended  on  to  be  as  good  as  their  parents.  If 
one  is  thinking  of  saving  any  kind  of  seed,  then,  he  is  best 
off  if  the  plants  grow  by  themselves,  at  a  distance  from 
similar  plants,  which  might  bring  unwished-for  qualities. 
From  a  field  of  the  same  kind  of  corn,  from  tomato  plants 
which  stand  by  themselves  and  which  all  come  from  the 
same  packet  of  seed,  or  from  poppies  which  have  no  poppy 
neighbors,  it  will  probably  pay  to  save  the  seed  of  the  finest 
plants. 


10  THE  BEGIN  NEE'S   GARDEN  BOOK 

Again,  from  certain  kinds  of  plants  we  shall  scarcely  be 
willing  to  go  to  the  trouble  of  saving  seed.  Plants  that 
need  two  years  to  grow,  such  as  the  parsnip,  take  up  too 
much  soil  and  time.  The  seed  of  some  plants,  such  as 
rhubarb,  do  not  certainly  produce  plants  like  their  parents, 
for  they  are  likely  to  be  worse.  The  seed  of  other  plants, 
like  the  peony,  take  from  four  to  six  years  to  make  flowers, 
and  there  is  a  shorter  way  to  get  flowering  plants.  And  the 
seed  of  a  tree  is  of  very  little  value  to  most  of  us,  since  to 
grow  a  tree  from  seed  will  tax  the  patience  of  any  home 
gardener,  when  several  years  can  be  saved  by  buying  one. 

Nevertheless,  with  annual  plants  whose  seed  are  easy  to 
handle,  seed  saving  may  be  worth  while.  Some  of  them 
we  grow  for  flowers.  If  you  have  a  poppy,  or  a  sweet  pea, 
or  a  petunia,  whose  beauty  you  especially  admire,  the  seed 
may  be  saved.  Biennials  and  perennials,  which  live  more 
than  a  year,  also  yield  seed  worth  saving.  So  with  the 
larkspur,  columbine,  and  foxglove.  But  remember  always 
that  if  other  such  plants  are  near,  the  result  may  be  dis- 
appointing. The  colors  may  be  different,  and  the  blossoms 
smaller. 

More  important  in  many  localities  is  the  saving  of  vege- 
table seed.  Everywhere  throughout  the  middle  West  are 
associations  for  the  saving  of  seed  corn,  a  single  perfect  ear 
of  which  has  been  known  to  sell  for  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars.  The  seed  of  tomatoes  may  well  be  saved  by  any 
one  who  has  found  plants  which  do  especially  well  for  his 
soil.  Further,  with  plants  which  are  not  grown  from  seed, 
such  as  the  potato,  it  may  prove  very  wise  to  save  tubers 
for  growing  again.  In  all  these  cases  the  amount  of  seed 
saved  is  but  a  very  small  part  of  the  whole  crop,  the  rest  of 
which  may  be  used  in  other  ways. 

The  saving  of  seed  requires  alertness  and  good  judgment 


THE  SAVING   OF  SEED 


11 


FIG.  8.  —  A  good  ear  of 
corn  and  its  ancestor.  The 
result  of  selection. 


more  than  any  other  qualities.  The  gardener  must  be  alert 
to  find  the  plants  from  which  to  save  seed,  and  to  gather 
it  at  the  right  time.  His  judgment 
shows  itself  in  knowing  what  to 
look  for  in  a  plant,  and  in  recog- 
nizing it  when  it  appears.  For 
example,  one  who  wishes  to  save 
the  seed  of  corn  should  know  the 
looks  of  a  healthy  plant  and  a 
good  ear ;  he  should  always  be  on 
the  watch  for  them,  he  should  pro- 
tect them  while  growing,  gather 
them  while  ripe,  and  dry  and 
store  them  properly. 

Study,  then,  any  kind  of  plant 
from  which  you  wish  to  save  seed. 
Whether  it  is  a  columbine  or  a 

potato,  learn  what  a  healthy  one  is  like.  When  you  have 
found  such  a  one,  protect  it  and  watch  for  the  proper  time 
to  gather  seed.  The  time  varies  a  good  deal.  There  is,  for 
instance,  no  hurry  about  corn.  When  the  seed  is  ripe,  the 
plant  is  nearly  dead.  The  ear  may  remain  on  the  stalk  for 
some  time  afterward.  But  a  columbine,  or  poppy,  or  lupine 
may  suddenly  shed  its  seed.  Know  what  your  plant  is 
likely  to  do.  Generally  it  is  the  flower  that  sows  its  own 
seed,  and  generally  the  vegetable  that  can  wait  for  a  long 
time.  But  learn  the  right  time  for  picking,  watch  for  it, 
and  then  —  pick.  Gather  the  whole  pods,  or  the  whole  fruit. 

Once  the  seed  is  picked,  it  must  be  treated.  If  small,  keep 
it  in  a  tin  box.  Put  it  daily  to  dry  in  the  sun,  until  it  is 
thoroughly  dry.  If  it  is  a  podded  seed,  lay  the  pods  on 
white  paper,  so  that  if  the  seeds  fall  out  they  may  be  gathered 
easily.  If  it  is  a  fruit  like  a  squash,  or  is  an  ear  of  corn,  there 


12 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


FIG.  9.  —  A  SQUASH  AND  ITS 
SEED. 

When  the  squash  is  to  be 
eaten,  scoop  out  the  seed  and 
dry  it. 


is  no  better  way  than  to  dry  it  whole  and  keep  it  so.  As 
we  shall  see  later,  there  is  an  especial  reason  for  keeping  the 
corn  seed  on  the  cob  until  it  is  wanted.  With  a  pulpy  fruit 

like  the  tomato,  time  will  be  re- 
quired for  it  to  become  so  dry  that 
the  seeds  will  separate  out. 

And  once  dry,  the  seed  must  be 
stored.  To  begin  with,  label  it 
clearly.  Then,  as  it  should  be  dry 
all  the  time,  protect  it  from  mois- 
ture. Keep  it  next  from  warmth. 
For  moisture  and  warmth  will 
cause  seed  to  sprout  or  to  spoil. 
It  may  be  well,  also,  to  keep  seed 
from  the  light.  A  cool,  dry  cellar 

or  closet  is  a  good  place  in  which  to  store  it.  But  here  or 
anywhere  it  must  be  kept  from  mice,  for  they  will  speedily 
ruin  seed  or  tubers. 

The  watching  of  plants  which  you  have  raised  from  your 
own  seed  is  very  interesting.  It  is  a  test  of  your  judgment. 
It  is  satisfying  to  find  that  your  poppy,  or  your  corn,  is  as 
good  as,  or  even  perhaps  a  little  better  than,  the  plant  of 
last  year.  Your  money  has  been  saved  to  good  purpose,  and 
your  work  is  well  paid.  Of  course  you  haven't  a  new  kind 
of  plant ;  we  leave  that  to  the  breeder ; l  but  of  your  kind 
you  have  a  new  strain.  When  for  a  second  time  you  save 
the  seed,  you  can  feel  almost  sure  that  the  seedman  himself 
has  none  better.  Moreover,  you  know  well  at  least  one 
department  of  gardening.  If  you  carry  the  work  further, 
you  may  be  well  rewarded,  indeed.  Only  a  few  years  of 
careful  selection  may  prove  you  to  have  a  strain  of  seed  which, 

1  Of  course  pure  accident,  such  as  sometimes  happens,  may  produce  in 
your  garden  a  new  and  fine  variety. 


THE  SAVING   OF  SEED  13 

in  your  soil  at  least,  is  the  best  possible.  Thus,  starting 
always  with  good  seed,  a  farmer  boy  may  develop  a  strain 
of  corn,  a  vegetable  gardener  a  strain  of  tomato,  a  flower 
gardener  a  strain  of  petunia,1  which  will  make  the  crops 
notable  in  the  neighborhood. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  work  of  a  plant-breeder?    A  plant  selecter? 

2.  In  what  cases  is  it  not  wise  to  save  seed  ? 

3.  From  what  kinds  of  plants  will  it  pay  to  save  seed  ? 

4.  What  do  we  need  in  order  to  succeed  in  this  work  ? 

5.  When  is  seed  to  be  gathered  ?    How  is  it  to  be  treated  ?     How 
should  it  be  stored  ? 

1  Flowers  whose  seed  is  worth  saving  are :  poppies,  Canterbury  bell, 
columbine,  forget-me-not,  foxglove,  hollyhock,  larkspur,  lupine,  mignon- 
ette, nasturtium,  petunia,  phlox,  portulaca,  sunflowers,  sweet  pea,  sweet 
William.  Vegetables  are :  corn,  beans,  muskmelons  and  all  squashes 
(including  cucumber),  okra,  peas,  pepper,  tomato,  and  egg  plant. 


CHAPTER    III 


PICKING 

THE  picking  of  one's  flowers  or  vegetables  depends  partly 
upon  the  purpose.  Let  us  first  consider 
vegetables. 

As  vegetables  are  grown  solely  for  food, 
and  as  their  garden  is  seldom  admired  ex- 
cept for  neatness  and  thriftiness,  the  picker 
does  not  hesitate  to  take  what  he  needs 
wherever  he  finds  it.  What  he  wants  is  a 
full  basket.  But  as  he  picks  there  are 
certain  things  he  should  remember. 

In  the  first  place,  his  vegetables  should 
be  young.  Some  of  them,  such  as  okra, 
kohl-rabi,  and  string  beans,  are  ready  to 
punish  him  if  he  leaves  them  too  long,  for 
they  become  stringy.  But  other  plants, 
even  though  they  do  not  become  stringy, 
should  be  picked  just  as  early  as  these. 
The  basket  fills  faster,  to  be  sure,  if  the 
peas  and  corn  and  summer  squash  have 
been  left  to  grow  to  their  full  size,  but  the 
vegetables  are  no  longer  delicate.  It  is 
safe  to  say  that  most  vegetables  should 
be  picked  before  they  come  to  their  full 
size. 

In  the  second  place,  vegetables  should 
be  picked  "at  the  last  minute";  that  is, 
as  late  as  will  give  the  cook  proper  time  to  prepare  them 

14 


FIG. 


10.  —  "SNAP 
BEANS. 


If  from  good  seed, 
and  if  not  too  old, 
they  have  no  strings 
at  all. 


PICKING  15 

for  the  table.  It  has  been  proved  that  corn  loses  its 
sweetness  from  the  minute  it  is  picked ;  it  should  be  picked 
if  possible,  therefore,  just  before  it  i&  to  be  cooked.  Other- 
vegetables,  except  lettuce,  do  not  so  soon  lose  their  fresh- 
ness; but  there  is  no  reason  why  a  home  vegetable  gar- 


FIG.    11.  —  Pick  carefully.     By  careless  dragging  at  pea  vines  the  picker 
may  either  tear  them  from  the  trellis  or  loosen  them  in  the  earth. 

dener  should  ever  pick  his  vegetables  the  day  before  they 
are  used.  Generally  they  should  be  picked  early  in  the 
morning,  before  the  sun  has  been  on  them.  And  this 
time,  which  is  good  for  the  vegetables,  is  good  for  the  gar- 
dener, too. 

Unless  his  supply  is  very  short,  the  gardener  should  bring 
to  the  house  only  perfect  vegetables.  To  save  his  supply, 
he  should  learn  how  much  to  pick  for  each  day's  needs. 


16      THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

The  vegetables  should  be  brought  neat  and  clean  to  the 
house.  All  dust  should  be  washed  or  wiped  off,  the  roots 
should  be  cut  away,  and  the  outer  leaves  of  such  plants  as 
lettuce  and  cabbage  should  be  picked  off.  If  this  is  a  help 
to  the  cook,  it  is  also  a  help  to  the  gardener.  Roots,  leaves, 
and  dead  plants  should  all  go  in  an  out-of-the-way  pile,  the 
compost  heap,  which  in  the  course  of  time  yields  good 
material  by  the  rotting  of  the  refuse.  For  this  pile,  also, 
the  gardener  should  demand  from  the  cook  all  parts  of  the 
vegetables  that  she  does  not  use.  The  pods  of  the  peas, 
the  husks  of  the  corn,  all  can  be  thrown  on  the  compost 
heap.1 

The  flower  gardener  has  a  different  task.  In  the  first 
place,  she  (for  it  is  pretty  safe  to  assume  the  flower  gardener 
is  a  girl)  must  consider  not  only  what  she  brings  to  the 
house,  but  also  what  she  leaves  behind.  The  garden  should 
always  show  flowers;  therefore  it  must  not  be  stripped. 
Yet  no  faded  flowers  should  be  left  on  the  plants.  Besides 
appearance,  there  is  another  reason  for  this.  If  flowers  are 
allowed  to  go  to  seed,  the  plants  are  likely  to  cease  blooming. 
So  even  if  flowers  are  not  wanted  for  the  house,  the  gardener 
should  (except  where  seed  is  to  be  saved)  make  a  daily  round 
of  the  garden,  picking  off  the  faded  flowers.  These  should 
not  be  dropped  on  the  ground,  but  carried  to  the  compost 
heap. 

When  flowers  are  wanted  for  the  house,  they  should  be 
picked  with  care.  Buds  too  young  to  open,  and  old  blooms 
which  will  soon  fade,  should  both  be  avoided.  Pick  the 
just  opening  blossoms,  those  which  are  nearly  open,  and  the 
flowers  which  are  in  early  bloom.  Thus  you  will  have  a 
bunch  which  will  both  show  variety  and  last  for  some  time. 

1  There  is  no  such  danger  of  breeding  flies  in  the  compost  heap  as  there  is 
with  manure. 


PICKING 


17 


Pick  with  the  flower  some  of  its  own  foliage;    or  if  this  is 
not  in  good  condition,  pick  stems  and  leaves  of  another  plant. 

In  the  house,  arrange  the  flowers  according  to  their  nature. 
Keep  together  those  of  similar  colors,  or  be  sure  that 
those  of  different 
colors  harmo- 
nize. For  the 
long-stemmed, 
choose  tall  vases; 
for  the  large- 
flowered,  choose 
large  vases  or 
bowls;  for  small 
and  short- 
stemmed,  choose 
small  or  shallow 
bowls.  Here  is 
where,  by  the 
study  of  prob- 
1  em  s  which 
change  almost 
from  day  to  day, 
much  taste  can 
be  developed. 
The  subject  is 
so  large  that  it 
cannot  all  be 
explained  here.  But  only  a  little  advice  can  be  given. 

Generally  speaking,  do  not  crowd  the  flowers.  Make 
them  look  as  if  growing  naturally.  To  this  end,  the  foliage 
which  you  have  picked  will  help.  Set  in  among  the  flowers, 
it  will  give  the  appearance  of  naturalness,  and  will  prevent 
crowding.  You  will  improve  the  arrangement  if  you  shorten 


FIG.  12. 


Flowers  never   look  well  without   some 
of  their  leaves. 


18  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

some  of  the  stems,  so  that  the  flowers  appear  at  varying 
heights.  You  can  do  better,  of  course,  if  you  have  certain 
helps  which  you  can  buy  cheaply.  Such  are  perforated  disks 
of  glass :  the  holes  keep  the  stems  upright,  and  the  glass  is 
invisible  in  water.  Such  also  are  pieces  of  coarse  wire  net- 
ting, galvanized,  rounded  to  fit  a  bowl,  and  swelling  upward 
in  the  middle.  These,  too,  help  to  keep  the  stems  in  place. 
But  you  yourself  can  make  similar  devices.  A  long  ribbon 
of  sheet  lead,  bent  into  a  rosette,  will  help  to  hold  tall  flowers 
upright.  From  a  piece  of  netting  you  can  make  a  wire  frame 
of  your  own.  But  the  foliage,  properly  used,  is  almost  enough 
of  itself. 

To  arrange  flowers  well  is  an  art  which  many  neglect  be- 
cause they  never  even  heard  of  it.  Flowers,  beautiful  as 
they  are,  show  a  little  obstinacy  when  handled  wrongly. 
If  merely  thrust  into  a  vase,  they  are  likely  to  refuse  to  look 
well.  Both  the  eye  and  the  fingers  should  be  trained  to  the 
work.  The  one  who  spends  an  extra  minute  thinking,  and 
another  in  arranging,  will  make  her  vase  look  the  best.  Two 
watchwords  should  always  be  borne  in  mind  during  the  work. 
One  is  naturalness,  the  other  (and  it  is  almost  the  same)  is 
simplicity. 

Once  arranged,  the  flowers  should  be  placed  wherever  they 
show  best,  on  mantel,  book-case,  or  table.  Consider  their 
color  and  the  color  of  the  room,  and  do  not  put  flowers  where 
they  will  not  harmonize.  Don't  put  them  where  other 
things  belong,  as  in  the  umbrella-stand  or  the  fireplace. 

Flowers  for  the  sick-room  should  be  simple,  quiet  in  tone, 
and  faint  in  odor. 

The  ends  of  the  stems  of  house  flowers  should  be  cut  at 
least  every  other  day  (every  day  is  better)  and  fresh  water 
given.  Flowers  which  are  on  the  point  of  fading  can  some- 
times be  refreshed  by  putting  them  in  water  as  hot  as  the 


PICKING 


19 


hand  can  bear.  As  soon  as  the  flowers  fade,  they  should  be 
thrown  away.  Those  which  are  still  good  may  be  rearranged, 
and  others  may  be  cut. 

Picking  for  the  market  will  be  different  from  picking  for 
the  home.     Yet  the  differences  are  not  so  very  great : 

With  the  vegetables  there  are  certain  customs  to  be  ob- 
served. In  some  localities  or  seasons  radishes,  carrots, 
beets,  onions,  and 
other  crops  are  sold 
bunched  together 
with  their  tops  on. 
Where  this  is  the 
habit,  the  gardener 
should  recognize  and 
follow  it  carefully. 
Let  him  have  his 
bunches  of  full  size. 
At  other  times  or 
places  these  vege- 
tables are  sold  by 
measure  or  weight. 
All  such  customs  the 
gardener  should  rec- 
ognize and  follow. 

But    in    any   case 
certain   things   must 


FIG.  13.  —  Radishes  bunched  for  sale. 


be  remembered. 
First,  the  vegetables 
should  be  as  nearly  perfect  as  possible.  Leave  behind  all 
split  carrots,  rusted  beans,  uneven  corn.  Next,  the  vege- 
tables should  be  as  nearly  as  possible  of  the  same  size  and 
plumpness.  If  they  vary,  grade  them  into  two  lots,  and 
sell  at  different  prices.  Then,  never  sell,  if  you  can  help 


20  THE  BEGINNER'S  GAP  DEN  BOOK 

it,  vegetables  that  were  not  picked  within  twelve  hours. 
Rather  use  them  at  home.  Start  each  day  with  a  fresh 
load,  and  build  up  a  reputation.  This,  of  course,  does  not 
apply  to  cabbages,  potatoes,  and  vegetables  that  similarly 
keep  a  long  time.  And  if  you  must  offer  vegetables  for 
sale  a  second  time,  freshen  them  overnight  by  washing  or 
watering  them.  But  keep  them  from  getting  soggy,  and 
don't  be  surprised  to  learn  that  you  are  harming  your  trade. 


FIG.  14.  —  Flowers  or  vegetables  for  the  market  should  be  kept  fresh 
in  baskets.     These  are  for  expressing.] 

Pack  vegetables  carefully  in  separate  baskets  or  boxes, 
and  keep  them  from  the  sun. 

Flowers  for  market  should  always  be  perfectly  fresh.  For 
this  purpose  they  should  be  picked  as  early  as  possible  ;  then, 
before  the  ends  of  the  stems  have  dried,  they  should  be  stood 
in  water  for  an  hour.  Thus  they  will  keep  longer.  They 
ought  to  travel  in  deep  baskets,  protected  from  injury,  and 
from  the  sun. 

The  bunching  of  flowers  for  market  should  be  done  as  care- 
fully as  for  the  house.  They  should  be  grouped  so  that  colors 
harmonize,  and  should  not  be  too  tightly  bunched.  A  little 
foliage  should  be  used  to  prevent  crowding  and  give  the 
appearance  of  naturalness.  And  it  is  well  to  pack  the 
bunches  according  to  color  harmony.  They  will  sell  the  bet- 
ter for  this. 


PICKING 


21 


The  work  of  choosing  and  preparing  flowers  and  vegetables 
for  an  exhibition  is  important,  for  it  may  add  a  public  "  Well 
done  !"  to  the  season's  work. 

Exhibitions  of  vegetables  do  not  vary  very  much.  Prizes 
offered  usually  are  for  the  best  three,  or  four,  or  twelve,  of  one 
thing  and  another;  with  quarts  of  beans  or  peas  in  pods,  and 
sometimes  for  the  "best  collection  of  vegetables,  any  number 
of  varieties."  Size  is  sometimes  important,  but  usually 
quality  is  most  considered.  If  the  vegetable  gardener  is 
wise,  he  has  been  studying  his  plants  for  some  weeks,  planning 
which  products 
he  can  use.  In- 
deed, the  spring 
planting  is  often 
done  with  the 
exhibition  in 
mind,  and  much 
of  the  cultiva- 
tion has  been 
carried  on  with 
the  idea  of  hav- 
ing the  right 
vegetables  ready  at  the  right  time.  When  it  comes  to  pick- 
ing, there  are  certain  things  to  remember. 

First,  the  vegetables  should  be  of  the  proper  size.  They 
should  not  be  too  small,  nor,  in  the  opinion  of  many  judges, 
too  large.  A  monster  pumpkin  is  all  very  well ;  but  when  we 
come  to  monster  cucumbers,  or  celery,  and  certainly  string 
beans,  the  flavor  is  likely  to  be  coarse.  If  more  than  one  of  a 
kind  is  shown,  the  sizes  should  be,  if  possible,  exactly  the  same. 

Second,  the  shape  should  be  what  is  proper  to  the  variety, 
and  not  suggestive  of  another.  In  an  exhibition  of  more  than 
one  of  a  kind,  the  shapes  should  be  alike. 


FIG.  15.  —  GRADED  POTATOES. 
Which  of  these  groups  is  the  more  attractive  ? 


22  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Third,  the  color  should  be  proper.  Green  beans  should 
not  show  any  yellow,  nor  wax  beans  any  green.  Choose 
each  vegetable  for  the  color  that  is  expected  of  its  kind.  And 
again  let  me  say,  likeness  is  very  necessary.  Do  not  mix 
colors  if  possible  to  avoid  it. 

Fourth,  the  matter  of  grading,  which  I  have  emphasized  in 
each  of  these  paragraphs,  must  be  specially  considered  when 
the  exhibit  is  arranged.  Probably  there  has  had  to  be  varia- 
tion in  the  vegetables  chosen  :  there  is  a  largest  and  a  smallest, 
or  a  lightest  and  a  darkest,  with  others  between.  See  now  if 
they  cannot  be  arranged  in  order.  So  arranged,  the  differ- 
ences in  sizes  or  colors  or  shapes  will  scarcely  show,  while 
the  same  exhibit,  set  out  helter-skelter,  will  seem  very  irregu- 
lar. 

Fifth,  the  vegetables  should  always  have  a  good  skin. 
Scabby  potatoes,  rusted  beans,  cabbages  which  the  worms 
have  nibbled,  are  most  unattractive. 

Sixth,  care  should  be  taken  to  bring  the  vegetables  to 
the  exhibition  in  the  best  possible  condition.  For  this  pur- 
pose they  should  be  picked  late  and  kept  fresh.  Root  crops 
may  be  washed  when  dug,  and  left  untrimmed  with  their 
roots  in  water.  Do  the  washing  with  a  sponge.  Leafcrops, 
on  the  other  hand,  may  be  injured  by  real  washing,  since  they 
become  soggy.  They  may  be  kept  very  well  under  damp 
moss.  Kept  in  this  way,  and  carefully  protected  against 
sun  and  dust,  at  the  exhibition  hall  they  may  receive  a 
final  dressing  down.  The  roots  should  be  trimmed,  the  tops 
moistened,  and  some  vegetables,  such  as  squash  or  water- 
melon, should  be  scrubbed. 

The  final  arrangement,  whether  on  the  table,  on  plates,  or 
in  baskets,  should  be  careful.  I  have  already  spoken  of 
grading  in  size,  shape,  and  color.  Do  whatever  else  you  can 
to  make  the  vegetables  appetizing.  Make  them  seem  natural 


PICKING  23 

by  setting  them  in  greenery,  if  this  is  allowed.  A  sprig  of  the 
leaves  or  flowers  of  any  plant  adds  to  the  attractiveness  and 
interest  of  its  fruit. 

Rules  for  flower  exhibiting  cannot  be  laid  down  except  in 
the  most  general  way.  The  prizes  offered  are  usually  for 
the  "best  vase  of"  this  or  that,  or  for  the  "best  exhibit  of 
asters,  any  number  of  blooms,  any  arrangement."  This 
leaves  the  way  open  for  a  display  of  taste,  and  of  this  I  have 
already  spoken.  The  gardener  who,  during  the  summer, 
has  daily  used  care  in  arranging  flowers  for  the  house  has 
been  training  for  this  exhibition,  and  already  has  an  advan- 
tage in  good  taste. 

If  you  need  rules,  these  are  the  best :  First,  the  flowers 
should  be  fresh.  Second,  size  is  not  so  important  as  perfect 
shape  and  color.  Third,  uniformity  is  not  important  with  a 
bunch  of  flowers.  They  may  vary  from  an  opening  bud  to  a 
flower  in  full  bloom ;  and  to  make  them  seem  natural,  their 
stems  may  be  of  different  lengths.  Arranged  in  vase  or 
bowl  or  bouquet,  they  thus  recall  the  garden  at  its  best,  and,  if 
not  too  tightly  crowded,  will  seem  to  be  growing.  A  little 
greenery,  but  not  too  much,  adds  to  this  appearance  of 
naturalness. 

There  is  more  than  this,  of  course,  to  the  work  of  exhibiting, 
but  the  best  suggestions  come  from  inspiration  on  the  spot. 
Advantage  can  be  taken  of  some  arrangement  of  the  tables, 
or  of  a  corner  of  the  hall.  A  study  of  the  arrangement  of 
vases  or  plates  will  often  lead  to  a  shift  which  will  make  all 
look  better.  Spend  the  last  few  minutes  in  thinking,  give  a 
few  last  touches,  and  then  —  let  the  exhibit  alone.  Too 
much  fussing  is  often  as  bad  as  too  little. 


24  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Give  some  warning  about  the  picking  of  vegetables.     In  what 
condition  should  they  be  brought  to  the  house  ? 

2.  What  do  you  do  with  the  unused  stalks,  leaves,  pods,  etc.  ? 
Why? 

3.  What  advice  can  you  give  for  the  picking  of  flowers  ? 

4.  What  is  meant  by  taste  in  arranging  flowers  ? 

5.  Give  advice  for  arranging  a  vase  of  flowers ;  a  bowl. 

6.  Give  advice  for  placing  flowers  in  the  house. 

7.  How  would  you  prepare  vegetables  for  market  ?    Flowers  ? 

8.  Discuss  the  grading  of  vegetables  for  exhibition. 

9.  Discuss  the  exhibiting  of  flowers. 


CHAPTER  IV 
GOING  INTO  WINTER  QUARTERS 

As  winter  approaches,  the  gardener  must  meet  it,  watching 
carefully  for  each  of  its  stages,  and  changing  his  work  as  the 
seasons  change.  The  stages  are  three,  not  considering  the 
work  of  potting  plants  for  the  winter,  which  I  will  speak  of  in 
another  chapter. 

First  comes  the  period  of  light  frosts  which  are  yet  strong 
enough  to  kill  the  tender  plants.1  The  gardener  should 
learn  to  know  when  such  frosts  are  expected.  The  signs  are 
a  west  or  northwest  wind,  occurring  during  the  afternoon ;  a 
clear  sky ;  a  chill  in  the  air.  If  the  wind  is  so  brisk  as  cer- 
tainly to  continue  all  night,  or  if  the  sky  is  clouded,  there  will 
probably  be  no  frost.  But  often  the  gardener  is  deceived  as  to 
what  the  wind  or  clouds  will  do.  A  strong  wind  will  suddenly 
drop,  the  clouds  will  clear  away,  and  at  about  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning  a  biting  frost  will  settle  in. 

Gardeners  who  live  on  hills  have  one  safeguard.  Frost  is 
like  water,  and  drains  down  the  sides  of  hills  to  settle  in  the 
valleys.  The  hills  are  therefore  likely  to  escape  light  frosts. 

But  whenever  the  gardener  feels  afraid  that  a  frost  will 

1  Tender  annual  plants  are  those  which  are  killed  by  a  light  frost.  Ex- 
amples are  tomatoes  and  squashes  among  vegetables,  nasturtiums  and 
cosmos  among  flowers.  The  tops  of  dahlias,  gladioli,  and  potatoes  are 
tender,  though  their  roots  are  not  injured  till  the  ground  is  frozen.  Hardy 
annual  plants  are  killed  only  by  heavy  frosts ;  examples  are  cauliflower 
and  sweet  peas.  See  the  planting  table,  and  for  other  classes  of  plants 
see  page  91. 

25 


26  THE  BEGINNER'S  GABDEN  BOOK 

come,  he  should  protect  the  tender  plants.  What  is  needed 
is  a  covering  of  some  sort,  to  keep  out  the  cold  air  and  keep  in 
the  heat  of  the  soil.  Hay  or  straw  or  cloth  will  do,  either  laid 
on  the  plants,  or  held  above  them  on  stakes.  There  is  a  good 
deal  of  bother  to  all  this,  especially  if  it  amounts  to  nothing 
because  the  frost  does  not  come ;  but  often  the  trouble  will 


FIG.  16.  —  THE  FIGHT  AGAINST  FROST. 

Such  a  frame  of  loose  boards  held  by  stakes,  with  the  burlap  cover  on  a 
roller,  is  of  great  use  in  protecting  the  tomato  plants  against  frost. 

save  several  days  longer,  sometimes  for  weeks,  the  beans,  the 
nasturtiums,  or  the  salvia. 

If  there  are  plants  which  are  to  be  covered  with  frames, 
so  as  to  keep  them  into  the  real  winter,  the  frames  should  be 
set  at  the  first  alarm  of  frost.  Then  on  every  doubtful  night, 
the  sash  can  be  put  on.  The  less  the  plants  have  to  fight 
the  cold,  the  more  vigorous  they  will  be. 

At  last  comes  the  time  when  in  spite  of  all  care  the  tender 
plants  have  been  killed.  They  should  be  cleared  away  at 


GOING  INTO   WINTEE   QUARTERS  27 

once,  and  the  soil  sowed  with  rye,  the  best  late  cover-crop. 
Rye  is  hardy,  and  in  places  where  the  winter  comes  slowly 
it  will  often  make  a  little  growth  to  protect  the  surface  of 
the  soil  against  the  rains  of  late  fall  and  early  spring.  When 
turned  under  in  the  spring,  it  will  make  good  manure. 

Of  course  the  dead  plants  should  be  thrown  on  the  compost 
heap,  there  to  rot  and  make  humus  for  the  future. 

Dahlias,  Jerusalem  artichoke,  potatoes,  carrots,  and  all 
tender  roots  should  at  this  time  be  dug. 

And  now  begins  a  second  fight  against  the  frost.  The 
endeavor  is  to  prolong  the  lives  of  the  hardy  plants.  Of 
course  the  gardener  will  be  beaten,  but  again  he  can  save 
sometimes  for  weeks  his  plants  or  fruit.  The  same  coverings 
that  were  used  for  the  tender  plants  are  used  for  the  hardy 
ones.  One  thing  the  gardener  should  remember  :  not  to  un- 
cover the  plants  in  the  morning  until  the  frost  has  begun  to 
yield  to  the  sun. 

Wherever  it  is  too  late  to  plant  rye,  the  gardener  should 
spade  the  ground.  How  to  do  this  is  described  in  Chapter 
XXXIV.  The  gardener  should  spade  deeply.  This  will 
freshen  the  soil  for  the  spring,  so  that  the  " spring  fitting" 
is  made  easier.  It  will  also  rout  the  insects  out  of  the  nests 
they  have  made  against  the  winter,  and  cause  them  to  be  killed 
by  the  frost.  It  will  let  the  frost  go  more  deeply  into  the 
ground.  The  spaded  ground  should  be  left  with  a  rough  sur- 
face, to  prevent  much  washing  by  the  rains. 

If  it  is  decided  to  set  in  the  fall  such  plants  as  peonies  or 
iris  or  lily  of  the  valley,  it  is  proper  to  do  so  as  soon  as  their 
leaves  are  dead.  Give  them  plenty  of  earth,  set  them  as 
deep  as  they  were  before,  pack  the  earth  firmly  around  them  ; 
and  when  the  ground  freezes,  bed  them  with  manure  or 
leaves  to  the  depth  of  three  or  four  inches. 

This  is  an  excellent  chance  to  prepare  next  year's  garden, 


28  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

in  case  a  new  one  is  to  be  started,  or  the  present  one  en- 
larged. The  gardener  will  thus  avoid  the  rush  of  spring 
work,  and,  especially  if  manure  is  to  be  dug  in,  will  give  the 
frost  a  chance  to  mellow  the  ground.  For  the  work  of  plan- 
ning, see  the  chapter  on  that  subject.  Study  now  the  chap- 
ter on  Hot-beds  and  Cold-frames,  if  they  are  to  be  used  next 
spring. 

Late  September  or  early  October  is  the  time  to  plant 
bulbs.1  They  are  usually  planted  in  the  borders,  the  edges 
of  the  flower  beds,  and  sometimes  in  the  lawn.  If  planted  too 
early,  they  will  sprout  and  be  injured ;  if  planted  too  late,  they 
will  make  no  growth ;  but  if  planted  just  about  the  time  when 
the  heavy  frosts  begin,  they  will  make  root  growth  but  no 
leaves,  and  will  then  be  ready  for  an  early  spring  start. 

All  bulbs  should  be  plump  and  firm.  If  you  cannot 
rely  on  your  seedsman,  examine  the  bulbs  carefully  before 
buying. 

The  easiest  bulbs  for  a  beginner  to  use  are  the  snowdrop, 
crocus,  scilla,  tulip,  narcissus,  hyacinth,  lilium  candidum.2 
All  of  them  may  be  set  in  ordinary  garden  soil ;  the  richer  the 
better  if  well  drained,  and  if  manure  is  not  allowed  to  touch 
the  bulbs.  All  bulbs  should  be  planted  in  groups  or  rows 
of  the  same  kind.  If  you  have  but  few,  do  not  try  to  make 
them  cover  much  space ;  they  look  better  when  together. 
Study  the  seedsman's  catalogue,  and  get  several  of  every 
kind  you  order.  "  Mixed  "  bulbs  are  likely  not  to  harmonize. 

Snowdrop  may  be  planted  in  the  grass  or  borders,  or  under 
overhanging  shrubs. 

Scilla  and  crocus  may  be  similarly  placed,  although  I  do 

1  Bulbs  are  the  leaves  and  flower-buds  of  certain  plants,  all  drawn  and 
folded  close  together  for  the  winter  above  the  thin,  flat,  coin-shaped  stem, 
and  often  protected  by  a  husk.  In  this  condition  they  will  keep  a  long  time ; 
when  planted,  they  root  and  grow.  See  the  next  chapter,  and  the  chapter 
on  Bulbs  and  Tubers.  2  Madonna  lily. 


GOING  INTO    WINTER   QUARTERS 


29 


not  like  them  in  the  lawn.  They  are  likely  to  interfere  with 
mowing,  since  if  they  are  to  live  from  year  to  year,  their  foli- 
age should  not  be  cut 
till  it  is  turning  yellow. 

These  three  may  be 
allowed  to  remain 
where  they  are  set. 

Tulips  should  go  in 
the  borders  or  beds, 
and  if  freely  planted 
will  make  a  gorgeous 
show.  The  same  is 
true  of  narcissus,  hya- 
cinth, and  lilium  can- 
didum,  though  none  FlG.  17.  _  Sci]la  "is  one  of  the  earliest  spring 

Of    these    have    the  flowers.     Set  the  bulbs  in  the  fall. 

glowing  colors  of   the 

tulip.     But  tulips  should  be  lifted  every  summer,  while  the 

others  remain  where 
planted.  The  narcissus 
may  be  planted  in  the 
long  grass,  where  it  will 
make  a  fine  show  in 
spring,  and  where  its 
foliage  will  be  ripe  by 
haying  time. 

Bulbs  set  in  the  grass 
should  be  planted  as  fol- 
lows :  with  a  trowel  or 
knife  lift  a  flap  of  the 
sod,  set  the  bulb  in, 
fcolint  °^its  pointing  upward,  and 

spring  brightness,  should  be  planted  in     J 

the  fall.  press  the  sod  back  again. 


30 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


Or  with  a  dibber  make  a  hole  in  the  sod,  set  in  the  bulb, 

and  cover  with  loam. 

Bulbs  in  the  flower  beds  should  be  set  more  carefully,  since 

they  should  all  be  at  the  same  depth,  so  as  to  bloom  together. 

Let  the  varying  kinds  of  buds  make  a  change  from  early  to 

late.  Set  the  bulbs, 
if  the  soil  is  likely 
to  be  wet,  on  a  little 
bed  of  sand,  dropped 
into  the  hole.  Holes 
for  small  bulbs  may  be 
made  with  a  dibber, 
for  larger  ones  with  a 
trowel.  Cover  them 
with  twice  their  own 
depth  of  earth.  Then 
when  winter  comes,  and 
when  the  surface  of  the 
ground  has  frozen 
solidly,  cover  the  beds 
with  leaves,  old  ma- 
nure, or  litter,  so  as 
to  keep  the  earth  from 

FIG.    19.  —  Tulips    come    in    many    forms 

and  colors.     Plant  now  in  the  borders.         thawing    until    spring. 

This  setting  of  bulbs 

is  the  last  planting  of  the  year.  It  varies  with  the  lati- 
tude, beginning  in  the  latitude  of  New  York  with  early 
October.  With  every  hundred  miles  south,  it  should  begin 
a  week  later;  with  every  hundred  miles  north,  a  week 
earlier.  If,  however,  the  garden  is  on  a  mountain  side,  so 
that  the  cold  strikes  in  sooner,  the  planting  will  have  to  be 
earlier. 

And  all  the  time  the  march  of  winter  continues.     We  have 


GOING  INTO   WINTER   QUARTERS  31 

reached  the  season  when  there  will  be  a  frost  whether  it  is 
cloudy  or  not,  whether  there  is  wind  or  not.  The  surface  of 
the  ground  is  frozen  every  morning,  the  tops  of  the  beets  and 
parsnips  are  dead,  and  even  the  hardy  chrysanthemum  yields 
to  the  season  as  its  blossoms  die.  It  is  time  to  take  every 
plant  from  the  vegetable  garden  except  the  asparagus  and  rhu- 
barb, sea-kale  and  udo,  the  cover-crops,  the  spring  spinach, 


FIG.  20.  —  These  celery  plants,  lifted  as  shown  on  the  right,  and  trimmed  as 
shown  on  the  left,  are  ready  to  put  in  the  box  and  store  in  a  cold  cellar. 

and  the  parsnip  and  salsify  roots.  The  annual  flowers  must 
be  cleared  away,  and  the  compost  heap  increases  with  the 
pile  of  dead  stalks.  The  celery  is  covered  over  with  earth 
and  boards  and  leaves,  or  is  set,  roots  and  all,  deep  in  the 
ground.  The  last  bare  bit  of  garden  is  spaded  over. 

And  at  last  the  flower  beds,  the  shrubberies,  and  the 
bulbs  are  to  be  bedded  down.  If  we  let  nature  alone,  she  will 
do  some  of  the  work  for  us.  Everywhere  through  the  fall 


32  THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 

house-owners  are  collecting  and  burning  the  leaves  that  fall 
from  the  trees,  even  though  these  will  make  the  best  bedding 
in  the  world.  Let  them  lodge  in  the  shrubberies  and  the 
gardens ;  rake  up  those  from  the  open  lawn  and  add  to  the 
heaps.  Spread  them  evenly,  so  that  there  shall  be  no  bare 
spots ;  and  if  you  have  a  little  manure  to  throw  on  the  leaves, 
to  hold  them  down,  then  they  will  stay  in  place  all  winter, 
even  though  the  snow  does  not  come  until  late.  Or  keep 
them  in  place  with  a  little  earth.  In  this  way  much  money, 
often  spent  for  manure,  will  be  saved.  The  leaves,  once  thus 
bedded,  and  matted  together  with  the  rain,  will  presently 
begin  to  rot ;  in  the  spring  they  may  be  dug  into  the  ground, 
and  so  what  so  many  people  wastefully  burn  becomes  good 
plant  food. 

Thus  the  garden  has  gone  into  winter  quarters.  A  few 
plants  may  be  yet  yielding  in  the  frames,  and  all  the  peren- 
nials are  but  waiting  to  start  into  growth  in  the  spring.  But 
the  good  garden  which  has  been  employment  and  pleasure 
to  us  must  be  left  to  itself  till  the  winter  is  gone. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  do  gardeners  fear  in  the  early  fall  ?     Tell  the  signs  of  its 
coming.     Tell  how  to  protect  against  it.     What  plants  do  you  first 
protect  ? 

2.  Why  is  a  hill  garden  safest  ? 

3.  Why  do  we  dig  tender  roots  ? 

4.  Give  an  account  of  the  second  fight  against  the  frost. 

5.  Why  do  we  spade  bare  ground  in  the  fall  ? 

6.  Why  do  we  now  plant  certain  bulbs  ?     Describe  the  planting 
of  the  different  kinds.    Which  ones  have  you  planted  ? 

7.  Tell  how  and  why  to  cover  flower  beds. 


CHAPTER  V 
POTTING  FOR  THE  WINTER 

As  the  frosts  approach  will  come  the  question  of  how  to 
save  the  tender  plants  which  are  fit  for  house  blooming. 
There  will  be  geraniums,  balsam,  and  other  plants,  either  old 
friends  or  new  ones  raised  from  cuttings,  which  must  be 
potted  before  the  frosts  weaken  them.  Or  there  will  be  such 
plants  as  stock,  raised  from  seed  during  the  summer  for  just 
this  purpose. 

Most  of  these  should  go  into  deep  pots  of  the  ordinary 
kind,  which  should  be  carefully  selected  for  them.  The  size 
of  the  pot  should  not  be  so  great  as  the  spread  of  the  leaves  is 
expected  to  be  when  once  the  plant  is  growing  well.  But 
no  rule  can  be  given  for  this,  except  to  say  that  the  pot  may 
easily  be  too  large.  The  beginner  is  likely  to  be  over-generous. 
Having  chosen  the  pot,  proceed  as* follows. 

First  the  plant  and  its  soil  should  be  well  watered  as 
deep  as  the  roots  go. 

Then  scrub  the  pot  thoroughly.  It  should  be  clean  and 
moist. 

Next,  the  pot  should  be  drained.  Put  in  the  bottom 
broken  earthenware,  or  stones,  to  the  depth  of  perhaps  an 
inch  for  a  six-inch  pot.  For  smaller  pots  merely  cover  the 
opening,  sifting  in  a  little  sand  or  gravel. 

The  earth  used  may  well  be  the  soil  in  which  the  plant  is 
growing.  I  should  prefer,  however,  to  mix  some  that  is  rich 
for  the  bottom  and  sides  of  the  pot.  For  this  purpose,  mix 
D  33 


34 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


with  the  soil  some  very  well-rotted  manure  or  compost,  and 
put  some  of  it  into  the  pot,  above  the  drainage.  Keep  the 
rest  at  hand.  , 

Now,  with  a  sharp  trowel  or  spade,  cut  around  the  plant, 
making  a  circle  (with  the  plant  in  the  middle)  a  little  larger 
than  the  size  of  the  pot.  Lift  the  plant,  with  its  earth,  and 
with  pruning  shears  cut  clean  any  bruised  roots.  Rub  off 

the  earth  from  around  the 
plant  until  you  have  a  lump 
of  soil  of  the  proper  size  and 
shape  to  fit  into  the  pot. 
If  in  doing  this  you  expose 
some  roots,  no  matter.  Set 
the  plant  in  the  pot,  put- 
ting in  more  earth,  if  nec- 
essary, at  the  bottom  and 
sides,  making  sure  that 
there  are  no  air  spaces. 

FIG.  21.  —  A  useful  action  in  potting.  The  top  of  the  earth  should 
<bUt  D0t  t0°  be  a  half  inch,  or  more  for 


a  large  pot,  below  the  rim. 

In  finishing,  water  the  plant  to  settle  it  in  place,  and  set  it 
in  a  shady  place.  Keep  it  from  the  sun  for  a  day  or  two, 
and  gradually  accustom  it  to  the  air  and  temperature  of  the 
house. 

Besides  these  plants,  grown  in  the  garden,  and  not  to  be 
exposed  to  frost  for  a  moment,  there  are  other  plants,  chiefly 
bulbs,  which  can  be  potted  after  frosts  come.  These  need  a 
good  mixture  of  rich  earth,  such  as  equal  parts  of  coarse 
sand,  leaf  mold,  good  loam,  and  very  well-rotted  manure  — 
best,  a  mixture  of  horse  and  cow  manure.  But  if  you  have  in 
the  garden  some  dark  and  rich,  though  not  wet,  soil,  mix  a 
quantity  with  half  its  bulk  of  the  manure,  and  that  will  do 


POTTING  FOE   THE   WINTER 


35 


well  enough.  Save  now,  and  store  away  from  frost  for  use 
next  winter,  some  of  this  mixture ;  or  else  save  loam,  com- 
post, sand,  and  manure  separately. 

Pots  for  bulbs  are  of  a  different  shape,  being  usually  wider 
and  shallower  than  for  ordinary  plants.  Scrub  them  well. 
Then  drain  them  with  a  stone  or  bit  of  pottery  to  cover  the 


FIG.  22. 


FIG.  23. 


FIG.  24. 


FIG.  25. 


Potting  a  geranium.     Fig.  22  is  too  high,  Fig.  23  too  deep ;  Fig.  24  has  too 
much  earth,  Fig.  25  is  just  right. 


36 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


hole,  and  a  half  inch  of  sand  or  gravel.  The  size  of  the  pot 
should  depend  upon  the  number  and  size  of  the  bulbs  that 
you  are  to  put  in  it.  It  must  be  at  least  two  inches  deeper 
than  the  bulbs.  The  bulbs  may  be  set  their  own  width 
from  each  other,  though  florists  often  crowd  them  closer. 

And  now,  what 
bulbs  to  set  ?  They 
had  best  be  crocus, 
tulip,  hyacinth, 
narcissus,  freesia. 
Crocus  and  freesia 
are  small  bulbs,  and 
eight  or  ten  may  go 
in  a  five-inch  pot; 
of  the  others,  three 
or  four.  Let  me 
speak  of  them  one 
by  one. 

Crocus  are  small, 
and  are  most  beau- 
tiful in  yellow,  blue 
or  purple,  and  white. 
They  are  the  cheap- 
est. 

Of  tulips,  not  the 
tall  parrot  or  Dar- 
win, but  only  the  short  single  or  double  kinds,  should  be 
planted  in  pots.  They  come  in  many  colors. 

Hyacinths  come  in  many  forms  and  many  colors.     The 
odor  of  the  hyacinth  is  strong. 

Narcissus  includes  the  jonquils  and  daffodils  in  many  forms, 
white  or  yellow.     They  are  fine  for  potting. 

Freesias  are  best  in  white.     Their  bulbs  are  small,  but 
produce  clusters  of  fine,  fragrant  flowers. 


FIG.  26.  —  Hyacinths  are  easily  grown  in  pots. 


POTTING  FOR   THE   WINTER  37 

In  planting  any  of  these,  be  sure  to  have  them  all  of  the 
same  variety.  A  mixture  of  colors  or  sizes  will  be  unsuccessful. 

And,  as  always  with  any  bulb,  seed,  or  plant,  buy  of  a 
good  seedsman.  He  carries  the  best  bulbs,  which  are  most 
worth  your  money.  Better  have  fewer  pots,  and  good,  than 
more  of  a  poorer  kind. 

When  the  work  of  potting  is  to  be  done,  lay  an  inch  of 
earth  on  the  drainage  material,  and  on  it  set  the  bulbs,  right 
side  up.  Now  fill  in  all  around  them  with  earth,  keeping 
them  carefully  in  place,  and  covering  them  about  an  inch,  or 
until  the  earth,  firmly  packed,  is  within  a  half  inch  of  the 
top  of  the  pot.  Water  them  well  and  set  them  aside,  after 
labeling  each  one. 

They  must  now  be  stored  in  order  to  make  roots.  A  cool, 
dry  cellar  is  a  good  place  to  set  them  in,  or  any  place  that  is 
dark,  cool,  and  free  from  frost.  They  may  even, be  stored  in 
the  ground,  if  only  the  frost  and  mice  are  kept  out.  For  this 
purpose  dig  a  two-foot  trench  in  a  well-drained  spot,  where 
water  will  not  stand  around  the  pots.  In  the  trench  set  the 
pots,  cover  a  foot  or  so  with  earth,  and  wait  till  the  surface 
is  frozen.  Then  cover  with  straw  or  leaves  for  two  or  three 
feet  more,  strewing  it  well  on  all  sides  of  the  trench,  and  keep- 
ing it  in  place  with  boards.  The  trench  should  be  so  placed 
(as  should  a  celery  trench)  that  you  can  get  at  it  from  one  end, 
so  as  to  get  the  pots  out  as  you  want  them. 

Wherever  you  store  the  pots,  leave  them  for  some  weeks. 
Supposing  that  the  potting  was  done  in  October,  do  not 
begin  to  take  them  from  storage  until  early  in  December. 
Those  which  are  stored  outdoors  will  take  care  of  themselves. 
Those  stored  indoors  must  be  kept  watered. 

When  you  decide  to  use  them,  you  may  find  an  inch  or 
more  of  pale  leaves 'showing  above  the  earth  in  the  pot. 
Bring  the  pots  into  the  house,  but  into  a  room  not  too  warm 


38 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


at  first,  and  set  them  in  a  north  window,  away  from  the  sun. 
Gradually  get  them  used  to  the  temperature  of  the  house, 
and  move  them  into  the  sun.  Keep  them  well  watered,  and 


FIG.  27.  —  Lily  of  the  valley  makes  a  fine  show  in  the 
house.     Set  the  pips  in  "standard"  pots. 

if  you  have  followed  directions  well,  they  will  grow  fast. 
You  may  be  able  to  have  Roman  hyacinths  and  paper  white 
narcissus  in  blossom  by  Christmas,  and  can  have  a  series  of 
flowers  all  winter. 


POTTING   FOR    THE   WINTER  39 

If  you  are  more  ambitious,  you  can  add  to  this  list  lilium 
candidum,  lily  of  the  valley  (best  taken  from  the  outdoor 
bed  after  the  foliage  is  dead),  Easter  lily,  calla,  and  gladiolus. 
Choose  pots  according  to  the  size  of  the  bulbs,  and  pot  as 
directed  above. 

The  work  of  potting  and  forcing  bulbs  is  interesting  and 
clean,  and  very  well  rewarded.  Few  plants  are  so  wonderful 
as  these,  which  in  so  short  time  make  leaves  and  flowers  from 
the  dark  bulb. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  How  large  a  pot  should  we  choose  for  a  house  plant? 

2.  Why  do  we  water  deeply  before  lifting  an  outdoor  plant  ? 

3.  How  do  you  drain  a  pot  ? 

4.  Explain  the  lifting  and  potting  of  a  plant  ? 

5.  Bulb  pots  are  often  called  pans.     Why  ? 

6.  Describe  the  potting  of  bulbs ;  the  storing  of  plants. 

GENERAL  REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  At  what  stage  in  the  progress  of  a  people  does  gardening 
begin,  and  why  ? 

2.  What  is  gardening  ? 

3.  How  does  a  plant  fulfill  its  purpose  ? 

4.  What  are  the  parts  of  a  flower  ?    How  do  they  make  seed  ? 

5.  When  is  it  wise  to  save  seeds  for  .planting  ? 

6.  Explain  the  work  of  saving  seed. 

7.  What  is  the  great  danger  to  plants  in  fall  ?    How  may  we 
meet  it  ? 

8.  Tell  how  to  plant  a  bulb ;  how  to  pot  it. 

9.  Tell  how  to  take  up  a  plant  for  flowering  in  the  house. 

10.  Why  should  we  spade  the  bare  garden  in  fall  ? 

11.  When  and  how  should  we  cover  the  flower  beds? 


SECTION  II 
THE  WINTER  WORK 

CHAPTER  VI 

NOTES  AND  ACCOUNTS 

THERE  are  three  questions  which  every  gardener  ought  at 
all  times  to  be  able  to  answer.  The  first  is,  What  have  you 
done  in  the  garden  ?  The  second  is,  What  have  you  learned 
from  it  ?  And  the  third  is,  What  have  you  gained  or  lost  by 
it?  To  answer  the  first  and  second,  the  beginner  should 
always  keep  a  note-book.  To  answer  the  third,  he  should 
keep  accounts.  It  is  of  course  true  that  an  account  book  can 
never  show  the  pleasure  gained  from  gardening,  but  at  least 
it  will  tell  how  much  money  has  been  spent  and  received. 

The  note-book  is  best  kept  in  the  form  of  a  record  of 
actions  and  observations.  A  diary  will  not  serve  very  well 
for  this  purpose,  since  on  some  days  there  will  be  little  or 
nothing  to  set  down,  while  on  others  the  amount  to  write  will 
overflow  almost  any  page.  For  the  record,  in  order  to  be  of 
value,  should  not  be  mere  jottings.  These  are  never  clear 
to  a  teacher,  nor  will  they  be  understood  by  the  gardener 
himself  after  a  few  weeks.  The  record  should  therefore  be 
in  complete  sentences,  ancj  should  tell  enough  to  make  clear 
what  has  been  done,  and  seen,  and  concluded.  No  pupil 
should  complain  if  the  teacher  insists  that  this  much  shall  be 
written.  Some  pupils  will  naturally  write  still  more.  So  an 

40 


NOTES  AND  ACCOUNTS  41 

ordinary  blank  book,  of  convenient  size,  should  be  used  for  a 
note-book.  If  it  is  intended  to  take  the  book  into  the  garden, 
a  medium  hard  pencil,  which  will  not  smooch,  will  be  better 
for  writing  than  ink,  which  will  blot  or  run.  The  pencil, 
especially  if  it  is  provided  with  an  eraser,  is  better  for  making 
diagrams  and  sketches. 

It  is  not  intended  that  the  note-book  shall  contain  what  is 
already  printed  in  the  text-book,  unless  the  teacher  desires. 
But  the  winter's  work  begins  with  a  number  of  experiments, 
each  one  of  which  should  be  carefully  recorded.  What  the 
experiments  prove  should  also  be  written.  Sketches  of 
apparatus  or  of  seeds  or  plants  will  help  to  make  these  records 
clear.  Later  in  the  year,  when  each  pupil  is  working  with  his 
own  plants  indoors,  or  in  his  outdoor  garden,  he  should  note 
the  date  and  amount  of  everything  he  does,  his  spading,  plant- 
ing, cultivating,  and  so  forth.  With  this  he  should  give 
notes  of  the  weather,  whether  each  day  is  sunny,  cloudy,  or 
rainy,  and  also  of  the  season,  whether  early  or  late,  wet  or  dry. 

These  are  mostly  mere  facts,  but  the  gardener  should  also 
write  down  conclusions  drawn  from  facts.  His  mistakes  and 
his  successes,  with  the  things  which  he  has  found  out  for 
himself,  will  do  as  much  as  anything  else  to  make  the  note- 
book worth  his  while. 

And  that  it  should  be  worth  re-reading,  the  writing  should 
be  well  done.  I  do  not  mean  merely  that  the  pages  should 
be  neat  and  the  writing  clear,  though  these  are  important. 
More  important  is  it  that  his  ideas  should  not  be  jumbled, 
but  should  be  in  good  order  and  expressed  in  good  English. 
A  few  extra  minutes  spent  on  this  will  double  the  value  of  the 
note-book. 

This  record,  so  made,  will  bring  the  student  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end  of  the  garden  year.  Whenever  a  record  is 
made,  the  date  should  be  set  down.  But  besides  this 


42  THE  BEGINNERS  GAEDEN  BOOK 

there  should  be  a  page  or  two  devoted  to  separate 
subjects. 

First  there  should  be  a  garden  plan,  or  at  least  a  sketch 
of  it.  As  we  shall  see,  the  working  plan  of  a  big  garden  had 
best  be  much  larger  than  the  page  of  a  note-book  will  allow ; 
but  a  sketch  kept  in  the  book,  preferably  on  two  pages  that 
face  each  other,  will  be  very  useful.  And  if  the  garden  is 
small,  the  note-book  plan  will  be  all  that  is  needed. 

There  should  also  be  a  page  given  to  the  amount  of  seed, 
bulbs,  and  plants  bought,  in  order  to  know  just  what  kinds 
they  were,  and  from  whom  they  came.  Beside  each  entry 
there  should  be  left  a  space  for  recording  whether  the  seed  was 
good  or  bad.  Studied  in  the  next  year,  this  page  will  give 
valuable  hints  as  to  the  kind  of  seed  to  buy  or  avoid,  and 
whether  the  dealer  is  trustworthy. 

I  like  to  keep  in  my  note-book  a  page  for  recording  first 
pickings  of  the  different  vegetables  and  flowers.  This,  when 
compared  with  other  years,  will  show  whether  the  asparagus 
came  earlier,  whether  the  tomatoes  were  brought  along  as 
fast  as  they  ought  to  have  been,  and  whether  the  asters  were 
early  or  late. 

If  the  gardener  feels  so  sure  of  his  taste  for  gardening  that  he 
knows  that  he  will  keep  a  garden  year  after  year,  he  will  find 
much  interest  in  keeping  still  another  note-book,  which  this 
time  should  be  a  diary  of  the  kind  known  as  a  "line-a-day 
book."  This  gives  on  each  page  a  single  day  of  the  year, 
marked  off  in  five  spaces,  each  representing  a  year.  Thus  each 
page  allows  the  record  of  a  given  day  for  five  succeeding  years. 
The  record  should  always  be  brief,  quite  different  from  the 
school  note-book.  It  may  contain  a  statement  of  the  work 
done  each  day,  the  pickings,  and  the  weather.  Occasionally 
should  be  put  in  a  statement  of  the  general  condition  of  the 
garden,  usually  telling  whether  the  season  is  favorable. 


NOTES   AND  ACCOUNTS  43 

Comparison  over  a  number  of  years  is  thus  possible,  and  is 
very  interesting.  But  such  a  diary  must  not  be  expected 
to  take  the  place  of  the  school  note-book. 

In  the  school  note-book,  or  in  a  separate  one,  should  be 
kept  the  accounts.  These  are  plainly  necessary  if  the  garden 
is  a  " commercial"  one  ;  that  is,  if  its  products  are  to  be  sold. 
Accounts  are  also  evidently  worth  while  for  a  vegetable 
gardener  who  supplies  his  family  without  selling  anything  to 
others.  But  even  a  flower  gardener,  whose  chief  gain  is  in 
pleasure,  ought  to  keep  accounts  in  order  to  know  the  cost 
of  the  work  and  to  see  where  it  can  be  lessened.  A  study  of 
the  accounts  at  the  end  of  the  year,  or  even  from  month  to 
month,  will  show  leakages  and  little  extravagances  which 
can  be  stopped. 

The  accounts  should  be  properly  kept  on  pages  ruled  for  the 
purpose.  Most  important  are  the  journal  or  day-book 
pages,  on  which,  on  the  right-hand  page  or  column,  is  set 
down  each  item  of  expense.  The  cost  of  seed,  bulbs,  and 
plants  (and  here  also  the  amounts  and  dealer  should  be  set 
down),  of  tools,  fertilizer,  and  manure,  and  also  of  hired 
labor,  naturally  occur  to  any  one  as  proper  to  put  in  the 
account  book.  But  an  important  item  should  not  be  for- 
gotten :  the  gardener's  own  labor.  It  has  its  value  per  hour 
as  well  as  has  paid  labor.  Early,  therefore,  the  boy  or  girl 
should  calculate  what  that  value  is.  It  may  be  that  the  value 
has  already  been  set  in  a  town  by  the  customary  wages  of 
strawberry-pickers,  or  that  a  certain  amount  per  hour  is 
known  as  proper  pay  for  weeding  or  "choring"  wages.  In 
such  a  case  the  gardener  can  be  sure  how  much  he  can  charge 
for  his  time.  But  if  there  is  no  such  town  wage-scale  for  a 
boy  or  girl,  there  is  surely  one  for  a  man.  So  many  cents 
per  hour  is  paid  for  skilled  labor,  and  somewhat  less  for  un- 
skilled. The  garden  beginner  is  of  course  unskilled,  and 


44  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

ought  therefore  to  get  no  more  than  half  of  what  a  day- 
laborer  would.  If  he  is  rather  small  and  weak,  and  does  not 
work  steadily,  he  ought  to  get  no  more  than  a  third.  But 
the  older  and  stronger  he  is,  the  more  he  knows,  and  the'more 
steadily  he  works,  then  the  more  nearly  be  becomes  a  skilled 
gardener  himself. 

I  should  suggest  that  parents  or  the  teacher  should  be 
asked  to  help  settle  how  much  the  gardener  shall  charge  for 
his  time.  When  this  is  decided,  then  the  gardener  should 
keep  an  account  of  the  number  of  hours  worked,  and  set  it 
down  each  day. 

All  this  is  on  the  debit  side  (the  cost  or  expense  side)  of  the 
account.  On  the  credit  side  (the  receipt  side)  should  be  set 
down  all  money  received  from  the  sale  of  vegetables  or  fruit. 
In  the  average  garden  this  amount  will  be  small  enough.  But 
the  home  vegetable  gardener  is  nevertheless  doing  a  valuable 
service  in  feeding  his  family.  An  occasional  inquiry  at  the 
provision  dealer's  will  inform  him  of  the  market  price  which 
he  can  charge  for  his  beans  and  corn  and  lettuce.  The 
amount  proper  for  each  mess  of  vegetables  can  then  easily 
be  calculated  and  set  down  in  the  book.  Even  if  no  cash  is 
received  for  these  services,  the  gardener  may  be  proud  of 
doing  something  toward  "  earning  his  keep."  And  a  girl  who 
keeps  the  house  supplied  with  flowers  may  likewise,  though 
with  more  difficulty,  get  an  idea  of  the  value  of  her  work  in 
keeping  the  home  beautiful. 

Each  month,  or  if  that  is  not  possible,  at  the  end  of  the 
year,  the  various  items  should  be  posted  in  a  ledger  account. 
The  various  headings  of  expense  will  come  under  the  gar- 
dener's labor,  hired  labor  (which  ought  to  be  only  in  spring, 
for  the  fitting  of  a  large  garden),  seeds  (including  bulbs,  etc.), 
manure  (including  chemicals),  and  'tools  (including  baskets, 
labels,  string,  and  all  such  articles  used  in  the  work  of  garden- 


NOTES   AND  ACCOUNTS  45 

ing).  Only  thus  can  one  really  see  where  the  money  has 
gone,  and  decide  whether  too  much  has  been  spent  under  any 
one  heading.  The  headings  of  receipts  should  also  be 
classified. 

This  is  the  usual  method  of  book-keeping.  But  recently  a 
simpler  method  has  been  used  by  bookkeepers,  and  the  state 
of  Massachusetts,  in  one  of  its  bulletins,  recommends  its 
application  to  farm  accounts.  By  this  system  are  used 
pages  with  many  parallel  columns.  Each  item,  of  money 
received  or  money  spent,  is  entered  immediately  twice  on  the 
same  page,  once  in  a  general  column  of  receipts  or  expenses, 
once  in  the  particular  column  in  which  it  belongs.  Thus 
fifty  cents  spent  for  a  hoe  will  be  entered  first  in  the  column 
with  all  other  money  spent,  and  second  in  the  column  for 
tools.  By  this  method  the  ledger  is  posted  daily,  time  is 
saved,  and  all  accounts  are  in  the  same  book. 

Careful  study  of  the  ledger  account  should  readily  show 
whether  proper  economy  has  been  used,  or  whether  in  another 
year  the  gardener  should  be  more  careful.  The  proper  way 
in  which  to  account  for  tools,  fencing,  long-lived  plants  such 
as  shrubs  or  peonies,  anything  which  is  permanent  or  nearly 
so,  is  to  start  a  separate  account,  called  the  Equipment  Ac- 
count. In  this  the  first  cost  is  charged,  while  in  the  yearly 
account  should  be  charged  only  a  fraction  of  it.  It  is  fair,  I 
think,  to  expect  a  tool  or  a  shrub  to  last  for  ten  years,  and 
therefore  to  charge  in  each  year's  account  a  tenth  of  the  cost. 
Thus  the  cost  is  distributed,  and  thus  the  profits  or  the 
loss  do  not  appear  too  large.  If  the  tool  breaks,  or  the 
plant  dies,  before  the  ten  years  are  up,  it  seems  fair  to  con- 
clude that  poor  goods  were  bought,  or  that  proper  care  was 
not  taken,  and  to  remember  the  lesson. 

It  may  be  objected  that  account  books  ruled  with  so  many 
columns  are  not  always  to  be  found.  Let  any  one,  then,  rule 


46 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


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NOTES  AND  ACCOUNTS  47 

a  blank  book  as  in  Figure  28.      Eight  columns  on  the  debit 
page  will  give  room  for  very  thorough  work. 

Or  an  account  book  ruled  with  six  columns  may  be  used 
as  follows.  The  credit  side  will  need  but  four  columns  of  re- 
ceipts :  general,  amount  from  sales,  amount  used  in  the  house, 
and  the  source  (money  earned  in  other  ways,  or  perhaps  per- 
sonal allowance)  from  which  the  money  comes  to  maintain  a 
pleasure  garden.  In  the  remaining  two  columns  of  the  credit 
page,  after  a  heavy  dividing  line  has  been  drawn,  may  be  put 
two  of  the  debit  accounts.  These,  with  the  other  six  on  the 
debit  page,  make  the  necessary  eight. 

A  little  study  of  Figure  28  will  show  how  expenses  may  be 
charged.  They  may  in  other  ways  be  made  short  and  simple. 
If  the  items  of  the  gardener's  daily  labor  take  too  much 
space  they  may  be  jotted  down  in  the  note-book  and  en- 
tered on  the  accounts  weekly  or  monthly.  Hired  labor  may 
simply  be  entered  when  paid  for.  The  amounts  of  seed  may 
be  kept  on  a  separate  page,  and  only  the  monthly  total  put 
in  the  account. 

Thus  gardening  is  not  all  work  with  plants.  Properly 
considered,  gardening  includes  the  writing  of  notes  and  the 
keeping  of  accounts.  This  work  is  a  valuable  training  in 
itself,  is  a  guide  for  future  work,  and  a  warning  against  mis- 
takes, and  when  it  is  done  is  an  interesting  record  to  look 
back  upon. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  should  a  garden  student  keep   a  note-book?    What 
plans  and  records  should  be  kept  in  it  ?    Are  sketches  of  any  value  ? 
What  should  not  be  put  in  the  note-book?    Why  should  the  stu- 
dent take  pains  to  use  good  English  ? 

2.  Why  should  entries  be  dated  ? 

3.  What  is  a  line-a-day  book  ?     Of  what  use  is  it  to  a  gardener  ? 

4.  Why  should  the  gardener  keep  garden  accounts  ? 


48  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN 

5.  Calculate  the  value  of  your  labor  per  hour. 

6.  Explain  the  difference  between  day-book  and  ledger  accounts. 
The  value  of  each. 

7.  Show  how  modern  bookkeeping  combines  these  on  the  same 
pages.     Does  this  lessen  work  ? 


,      CHAPTER  VII 
A  SEED  AND  ITS  GROWTH 

WE  have  already  seen  how  a  seed  is  made,  but  have  not 
yet  studied  what  it  is.  For  this  purpose,  let  us  examine 
some  of  the  commonest  seeds,  those  of  bean,  pea,  and  corn,* 
all  of  them  large  enough  to  show  their  parts.  It  is  well  to 
have,  besides  the  dry  seeds,  some  that  have  been  soaked 
for  two  or  three  days,  or  at  least  overnight. 

Let  us  first  notice  the  difference  between  the  dry  and  the 
soaked  seeds.  The  dry  seed  is  wrinkled  and  very  hard.  In 
this  condition  it  can  remain  for  a  long  time.  Handling  does 
not  injure  it,  and  it  resists  mold.  So 
long  as  it  is  kept  from  moisture  it  will 
live  for  several  years,  although  of  course 
it  gradually  grows  weaker.  But  when  it 
is  moistened  it  swells.  Its  hollows  fill, 

,  .,   .  FIG.  29.  —  The  parts 

and  it  is  ready  to  sprout.  Of  a  bean> 

A  soaked  bean  will  most  readily  show 
the  parts  of  a  seed.     One  can  easily  remove  the  skin  which 
surrounds  it,    and   which   protected    it   from   injury  when 
dry.     The  skin  has  served  its  purpose. 

The  two  parts  which  are  now  revealed  can  easily  be  sep- 
arated. They  are  the  largest  part  of  the  bean,  two  plump 
leaves,  called  cotyledons. 

Where  they  joined,  and  now  clinging  to  one  of  them,  is 
the  most  important  part  of  the   seed.      It   looks,  at  first 
sight,  somewhat  like  a  little  white  worm,  until  a  closer  look 
E  49 


50  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

shows  it  to  have  two  tiny  leaves  at  one  end.  Any  one  who 
has  examined  a  peanut  remembers  the  two  similar  leaves, 
very  small  and  wrinkled.  These  leaves  are  called  the  plu- 
mule, or  little  plume  ;  while  the  other  end,  round  and  worm- 
like,  is  called  the  caulicle,  or  little  stem.  The  plumule  is  to 
form  the  first  leaves  of  the  plant,  the  cau- 
licle both  the  stem  and  the  root. 

Examination  of  the  pea  shows  the  same 
parts.  There  are  the  plump  cotyledons, 
the  plumule,  and  the  caulicle. 

The  corn  seed  is  different.  In  the  first 
place,  we  cannot  find  two  cotyledons,  and 
as  we  look  we  discover  that  the  two  sides 
of  the  seed  differ  from  each  other.  If  we 
scratch  or  cut  with  a  knife  at  the  unsoaked 

<rfa  kernel  of  corn!"  seed,  we  ^d  tnat  one  s^e,  which  is  of  an 
amber  color  and  which  lets  the  light 
through,  is  very  hard.  But  on  the  other  side,  embedded  in 
this  hard  mass,  is  a  part  through  which  the  light  does  not 
pass.  If  we  cut  into  it,  we  find  that  it  is  soft ;  and  as  we  cut 
it  lengthwise,  we  come  upon  the  plumule  and  the  caulicle 
(often  called  radicle),  pointing  away  from  each  other. 

We  decide  that  the  corn  is  different  from  the  other  seeds, 
because  it  has  but  one  cotyledon.  It  represents,  however, 
a  large  class  of  plants,  such  as  the  grasses,  lilies,  and  palms, 
whose  seeds  have  the  same  structure. 

If  the  soaked  seeds  have  got  to  the  point  of  sprouting, 
all  these  parts  may  readily  be  seen.  The  caulicle  thrusts 
out,  the  cotyledons  separate,  the  plumule  pushes  upward. 
Placed  in  earth,  the  seed  speedily  becomes  a  plant.  But 
first,  what  is  necessary  for  successful  sprouting,  or,  as  it  is 
called,  germination? 

In  the  first  place  the  seeds  need  moisture.     The  more 


A   SEED  AND  ITS   GROWTH 


51 


thoroughly  moisture  is  applied,  the  quicker  will  the  seeds 
germinate.  Without  moisture,  as  the  dry  seeds  have  shown 
us,  seeds  will  not  sprout  at  all. 
But  an  interesting  experiment  V 
will  show  how  different  amounts 
of  moisture  affect  seeds.  Look- 
ing forward  to  the  work  in  the 
garden,  get  some  moist,  coarse 
sand,  or  else  some  very  sandy 
loam ;  the  object  is  to  have  ma- 
terial which  will  not  pack  natu- 
rally by  its  own  weight.  Put 
some  in  the  first  tumbler,  drop 
in  a  couple  of  unsoaked  beans, 
and  cover  them  lightly.  Do  the 
same  in  the  second  tumbler,  but 
press  the  material  firmly  around 
the  seeds.  Then  cover  the  tum- 
blers, to  prevent  drying  out, 
and  wait.  When  you  have 
found  which  seeds  sprout  the 
quickest,  you  will  understand 
why  the  gardener  walks  on  the 
line  of  seeds  that  he  has  just 
planted,  and  why  the  farmer 
drags  a  heavy  roller  over  the 

J  ,  .       . 

grass     that     he    has    JUSt     SOWn.   corn.      c  and  ra  show  the  roots,  o 

Then   see   if  you   can   state   all  *^.  svtei?'.  anf  *>  thue  extra  roots 

which  this  plant  throws  out   at 
this    Clearly   in    your    note-book,  the  surface,  for  strength. 

A    second   need    of    sprouting 

seed  is  air.  If  we  wish  to  try  this  as  if  in  the  garden,  we 
can  put  some  seeds  into  sand  or  loam,  and  then  others  into 
clay.  Pack  both  of  the  tumblers  tightly,  and  keep  them 


FIG.  31.  —  A  young  plant  of 


52  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

pretty  moist.  The  clay  will,  of  course,  .keep  air  away 
from  the  seeds  much  better  than  the  sand  or  loam  can. 
If  seeds  sprout  slowly  in  the  clay,  which  do  you  think  the 
gardener  would  call  an  "early"  soil,  a  sandy  or  a  clayey 
loam  ?  Write  the  answer,  with  your  reasons,  in  the  note- 
book. 

A  third  help  in  germination  is  warmth.  If  these  experi- 
ments have  so  far  been  carried  on  in  a  heated  building  which 
is  not  allowed  to  become  very  cold  at  night,  the  seeds  have 
doubtless  sprouted  well.  But  let  us  now  take  four  tumblers, 
and  in  each  plant  seeds  in  moist  loam  or  sand,  packing 
it  rather  firmly,  and  then  covering  to  prevent  drying. 
Now  put  one  of  these  tumblers  in  the  schoolroom,  another 
in  the  coldest  part  of  the  cellar,  another  near  the  furnace, 
or  on  a  radiator,  and  the  fourth  in  the  ice-chest  at  home,  or 
wherever  it  can  be  kept  very  cold  without  freezing.  Note 
down  the  number  of  days  before  the  different  tumblers  show 
sprouting  plants.  Does  the  one  in  the  ice-chest  sprout  at 
all  ?  It  is  easy  to  conclude,  of  course,  that  the  greater  the 
warmth,  the  quicker  seeds  will  sprout.  But  apply  this  to 
a  shady  and  a  sunny  garden :  which  is  the  earlier  ?  And 
which  is  the  better,  a  northern  slope,  where  the  sun  falls 
slanting,  or  a  southern  one,  where  the  rays  strike  straight  ? 

It  is  interesting,  again,  to  put  in  a  rather  cool  place, 
such  as  the  cellar,  tumblers  containing  seed  of  radish  and 
corn.  Put  others  in  the  schoolroom ;  and  note  down  how 
quickly  the  seeds  sprout.  Is  the  radish  so  much  troubled 
by  the  coolness  of  the  cellar  as  is  the  corn  ?  You  can  try 
this  experiment  with  many  seeds,  and  will  find  that  some  of 
them,  such  as  radish,  lettuce,  cabbage,  clover,  beets,  or 
spinach,  will  sprout  in  the  cellar  much  more  readily  than  will 
corn,  cucumber,  or  any  squash,  beans,  eggplant,  okra,  or 
tomato.  Can  you  conclude  from  this  that  some  seeds  are 


A   SEED  AND  ITS  GROWTH 


53 


hardier  (that  is,  able  to  sprout  in  cooler  weather)  than 
others  ?  Which  will  the  gardener  plant  earliest  in  the 
spring  ? 

Do  not  throw  away  all  the  plants  sprouted  in  these  ex- 
periments.    Some  of  them  will  be  of  use  in  later  ones. 


FIG.  32.  —  Seedlings  of  corn  and  beans  climbing  to  the  surface  from  the 
depths  of  one,  two,  three,  and  five  inches.     Which  depth  is  best? 

A  good  thing  to  know  is  the  proper  depth  at  which  to  plant 
seed.  To  begin  with,  let  us  see  whether  there  is  any  advan- 
tage in  one  depth  over  another.  Take  any  wide-mouthed 
bottle,  and  put  in  an  inch  of  wet  sand  or  loam.  Then  put  in 
a  seed  of  corn  close  to  the  glass,  and  put  in  a  half  inch  more 
of  the  sand  or  loam.  Set  in  another  seed,  touching  the  glass, 


54 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


but  to  one  side  of  the  first.  Thus  at  different  depths  plant  a 
dozen  seed,  which  will  be  set  spirally  around  the  bottle. 
Now  cover  from  the  light,  and  leave  in  a  warm  place.  When 
the  seeds  sprout,  watch  to  see  which  of  them  is  best  able  to 
make  a  strong  plant. 

This  experiment  will  be  more  successful  if  it  can  be  carried  on 
in  a  box  with  one  glass  side.  If  each  sprouting  plant  is  given 
free  room  at  the  top,  the  whole  can  be  more  easily  studied. 


FIG.  33.  —  Seedlings  of  bean,  with  their  cotyledons. 

We  can  make  sure,  as  we  study  the  growth  of  these  plants, 
that  it  is  easily  possible  to  plant  too  deep,  and  that  a  long 
struggle  to  reach  the  surface  will  weaken  a  plant.  But  are 
the  best  depths  the  same  for  all  plants  ? 

This  can  be  answered  by  repeating  the  experiment  with 
different  seeds,  best  with  corn,  peas  (not  beans),  lettuce, 
and  radish,  putting  one  of  each  at  a  half  inch,  an  inch,  and 
two  inches  below  the  surface.  We  shall  discover  two  things  : 
First,  the  smaller  the  seed,  the  less  able  is  it  to  climb  from  a 
depth,  and  the  weaker  is  the  plant  when  it  has  succeeded. 
Second,  those  with  large  cotyledons  have  the  better  chance 
when  deep  planted.  And  this  leads  us  to  a  new  study. 


A    SEED  AND  ITS   GROWTH 


55 


What  are  the  cotyledons  for?  Let  us  study  this  from  a 
couple  of  the  beans  which  we  have  kept  from  an  earlier 
experiment,  and  which  are  growing  either  in  the  same  tum- 
bler or  in  separate  ones.  Their  large  cotyledons  show  just 
below  the  leaves^  The  younger  the  plants  are,  the  better 
for  the  experiment.  Carefully  cut  away  the  cotyledons 
from  one  plant,  but  leave  the  other  untouched.  If  you 
have  three  plants,  take  a  single  cotyledon  from  the  third. 
Then  keep  the  plants  watered  exactly  alike,  and  watch  to  see 


FIG.  34.  —  Pea  seedlings.     The  cotyledons  stay  underground. 

which  thrives  the  best.  The  one  with  no  cotyledons  does 
poorly,  the  one  with  both  does  well,  and  the  third  is  midway 
between  the  two.  Now  what  do  you  think  is  the  duty  of 
the  cotyledons  ? 

It  ought  to  be  plain,  then,  that  in  the  last  experiment  with 
deeply  planted  seed  the  corn  and  peas  did  better  than  the 
radish  and  tomato,  not  only  because  they  were  larger,  but 
also  because  they  got  much  greater  help  from  their  cotyle- 
dons. The  seed-leaves  of  the  others  were  too  small  to  do 
any  such  service. 

The  experiment  would  not  have  come  out  quite  so  well  if 
beans  had  been  used.  We  have  probably  already  noticed 


56  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

that  the  bean  has  first  to  get  its  stem  out  of  the  ground, 
and  then  to  drag  its  heavy  cotyledons  after  it.  At  the 
depth  of  an  inch  or  two  this  is  not  a  hard  task  for  so  large  a 
seed  as  the  bean,  but  to  drag  the  cotyledons  up  for  three 
inches  is  pretty  severe.  .  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  easy  for  the 
pea  and  corn,  whose  cotyledons  stay  below,  to  send  up  the 
pointed  plumule  to  the  surface.  But  even  these  can  be 
planted  too  deep.  The  general  plan  is  to  plant  a  seed,  out 
of  doors,  not  deeper  than  three  or  four  times  its  own  thick- 
ness. When  it  is  desired  to  get  the  roots  deep  down,  as  is 
good  for  peas,  the  best  way  is  to  plant  the  seed  in  trenches, 
and  to  fill  these  as  the  plants  grow.  For  most  other  seed 
the  average  depth,  as  just  given,  is  enough. 

And  we  now  understand  what  the  seeds  do  in  order  to 
become  plants. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Should  stored  seeds  be  allowed  to  get  moist?    Why? 

2.  Name  the  two  large  parts  of  a  bean.    What  are  they  for? 
What  is  found  between  them  ? 

3.  How  does  a  kernel  of  corn  differ  from  a  bean  ?    In  what  way 
is  it  the  same  ? 

4.  Name  the  three  needs  of  sprouting  seeds. 

5.  Is  it  possible  to  plant  a  seed  too  deep  ?    How  do  you  prove 
this  ?    Name  the  general  depth  for  planting. 


CHAPTER   VIII 


THE  TESTING  OF  SEED 

As  seed  grows  old  it  loses  its  strength,  and  finally  reaches 
the  point  at  which  it  can  no  longer  sprout.  Various  kinds  of 
seed  are  different  in  this  matter,  seed  of  cucumber  often 
being  good  for  ten  years,  while 
seed  of  foxglove  ought  to  be 
planted  almost  as  soon  as  it  is  dry. 
Since  seed  so  easily  spoils,  it  is  wise 
to  test  it  when  bought,  in  order  to 
make  sure  that  it  is  living.  If  we 
find  that  it  is  dead,  we  can  at  once 
buy  other  seed,  and  thus  make  sure 
of  a  good  crop. 

A  simple  seed  tester  is  easily  made 
out  of  a  plate,  a  sheet  of  glass  large 

FIG.    35.  — The     simplest 
enough   to  COVer  it,  and  two  pieces    form    of     seed    tester:      two 

of  cloth  or  blotting  paper.  The  Plates,  with  cloth  or  blot- 
cloth  or  the  blotters  are  wet,  and 

placed  on  the  plate  with  seed  between  them.  Over  them  is 
set  the  glass,  to  prevent  drying  out.  Or  another  plate  may 
be  used,  turned  upside  down.  The  tester  is  kept  in  a  warm 
place,  and  occasionally  the  cloth  is  moistened  afresh,  until 
the  seeds  sprout.  Then  by  counting  it  is  easy  to  find  out 
whether  the  rest  of  the  seed,  as  a  whole,  is  good  or  not. 

This  ought  to  be  calculated  as  a  percentage.    Twenty-five 
is  a  good  number  of  seeds  to  test  for  an  ordinary  garden 

57 


58      THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

planting,  though  if  only  a  small  quantity,  say  a  penny 
packet,  has  been  bought,  ten  seeds  will  be  better.  If  out 
of  the  twenty-five  twenty  are  good,  then  eighty  per  cent  of 
the  seed  are  good.  If  out  of  the  ten  there  are  nine  which  are 
good,  then  ninety  per  cent  of  the  packet  will  sprout.  Eighty, 
and  indeed  ninety,  per  cent  of  the  seed  ought  to  be  good,  and 
if  the  percentage  is  less  than  seventy,  then  the  seed  as  a  whole 
is  not  satisfactory.  If  the  percentage  is  low,  as  tested  more 
than  once,  then  complaint  ought  to  be  made  to  the  seller 
of  the  seed. 

A  farm  boy  may  use  this  method  to  test  the  oats  or  grass  or 
wheat  which  is  to  be  planted  in  the  spring,  but  on  account 
of  the  great  quantity  of  seed  used,  he  should  test  more  seed, 
a  hundred  at  least.  If  repeated  tests  show  a  low  percent- 
age of  live  seed,  the  seedsman  ought  to  provide  a  new  supply. 

Of  course  the  seedsman  may  complain  that  the  test  was  not 
fair.  In  such  a  case  the  matter  can  be  settled  by  sending  a 
sample  to  the  state  agricultural  experiment  station,  where  it 
will  be  tested  free,  or  for  a  small  fee.  At  any  rate,  if  a  boy 
has  been  able  to  show  that  the  seed  is  suspicious,  and  the 
station  proves  that  it  is  bad,  then  his  simple  tester  has  done 
well. 

There  is  a  kind  of  seed  testing  which  is  becoming  widely 
popular,  and  that  for  the  best  of  reasons.  Not  long  ago  it 
was  discovered  that  in  the  average  corn  field  many  hills 
did  not  have  the  proper  number  of  plants,  and  many  plants 
were  bearing  poorly.  Frequently  a  field  produced  only  sixty 
per  cent  of  what  it  should  have  done  with  the  same  labor. 
This  meant  much  waste,  and  the  whole  loss  was  due  to  poor 
seed. 

Now  much  of  the  seed  was  grown  by  the  farmers  themselves. 
It  was  stored,  not  shelled  but  on  the  ear.  When  it  was  thus 
kept,  it  was  easy  to  discover  which  ears  were  good,  and  which 


THE  TESTING   OF  SEED  59 

were  not.  And  since  but  twelve  good  ears  are  needed  to 
seed  an  acre,  it  was  not  difficult  to  choose  enough  ears  to 
plant  a  good  many  acres.  The  method  is  as  follows. 

The  ears  are  all  numbered  and  set  carefully  in  order  on 
shelves  or  the  attic  floor.  From  each  ear  are  taken  six 
kernels,  beginning  at  the  butt  and  going  spirally  around 
the  ear  to  the  tip.  This  is  because  one  end  or  one  side  of 


^mm^mmmw;;m& 


FIG.  36.  —  A  SAND-BOX  CORN-TESTER,  SEVEN  DAYS  AFTER  PLANTING. 

Five  kernels  were  planted  in  each  of  42  squares.     Which  show  perfect  ears  ? 
Was  the  seed  well  grown,  or  well  kept  ? 

the  ear  may  be  bad.  Then,  keeping  each  set  of  six  kernels 
separate,  they  are  all  tested. 

But  if  one  is  testing  a  hundred  ears  or  more,  it  is  very 
clumsy  to  do  the  work  with  dinner  plates.  Other  methods 
have  been  devised.  I  will  speak  of  the  three  best. 

The  first  is  the  sand-box  tester.  Make,  out  of  a  soap  box, 
a  tray  an  inch  and  a  half  deep.  Fill  it  with  moist  sand 
level  with  the  top.  On  the  sides,  an  inch  and  a  half  apart, 
drive  tacks.  From  these  tacks  lace  twine  back  and  forth 
across  the  tray,  going  both  ways,  so  that  the  sand  is  marked 
off  into  squares  of  an  inch  and  a  half.  It  is  most  convenient 
if  there  are  ten  squares  to  one  side  of  the  box,  so  that  the 


60  THE  BEGINNERS   GARDEN  BOOK 

number  of  any  square  may  easily  be  calculated.  Thus 
the  fourth  square  in  the  fifth  row  will  be  number  fifty-four, 
the  seventh  square  in  the  sixth  row  will  be  number  sixty- 
seven,  and  so  forth.  Of  course  the  squares  may  be  larger 
than  an  inch  and  a  half,  but  it  is  not  convenient  to  have  them 
much  smaller. 

Now  in  each  square  are  planted  the  six  kernels  from  the 
ear  which  bears  the  same  number.  This  can  be  done  fey  two 
students  working  together,  one  taking  the  kernels  from  each 
ear  by  using  a  dull  knife  applied  to  the  edge  of  the  kernel, 
the  other  planting  the  kernels.  When  they  are  all  planted, 
the  top  of-  the  sand  is  made  smooth  and  firm,  and  the  box 
set  in  a  warm  place.  To  prevent  drying  out,  it  may  be 
covered,  or  from  time  to  time  it  may  be  watered.  Watering 
is  done  by  a  watering  pot  with  a  fine  sprinkler,  or  by  pouring 
the  water  on  a  cloth  or  piece  of  paper  laid  on  the  middle  of 
the  tray.  The  seed  must  not  be  washed  out. 

This  kind  of  tester  is  very  good  for  showing  almost  at  a 
glance  the  result  of  the  test.  Some  squares  will  presently 
have  six  points  of  green,  some  fewer,  some  none. 

Another  good  tester,  but  not  so  interesting,  is  the  sawdust 
box.  This  should  be  about  three  inches  deep.  Into  the 
bottom  is  put  an  inch  of  wet  sawdust.  On  a  piece  of  cloth 
larger  than  the  box  is  marked  the  size  of  the  inside  of  the 
box,  laid  out  in  squares,  the  squares  numbered.  This  can 
be  done  with  pencil.  The  cloth  is  then  laid  on  the  sawdust, 
and  tacked  to  the  box  by  the  edges.  On  each  square  are 
laid  the  kernels  from  the  proper  ear.  Finally  these  are 
covered  by  a  bag  of  sawdust,  made  into  a  pad  an  inch  thick. 
This  is  kept  moist,  and  after  the  fourth  day  the  box  is  ex- 
amined daily.  In  lifting  the  pad,  the  kernels  must  not  be 
moved  from  their  places. 

The  easiest  tester  to  make,  smallest,  and  lightest,  is  the 


THE  TESTING   OF  SEED  61 

rag-doll  tester.  This  is  made  of  a  strip  of  cloth  eight  inches 
wide  and  as  long  as  necessary.  If  it  is  to  be  used  often,  the 
edges  should  be  hemmed  to  prevent  raveling.  Down  the 
middle  draw  a  line,  and  draw  lines  across  this  every  two  or 
three  inches.  Number  these  divisions,  and  in  them  lay  the 
kernels  from  the  numbered  ears,  after  the  cloth  has  been  wet. 
Then,  using  a  small  round  stick,  to  make  the  work  easier, 
and  to  keep  the  kernels  evenly  wet,  roll  up  the  cloth  from  one 
end,  and  keep  it  tight  by  string  or  rubber  bands.  Now  soak 
the  roll  in  water  for  two  hours  or  more,  and  then  set  it  under 
the  pail  in  which  it  has  been  soaked. 

All  these  testers  should  be  kept  warm  (not  less  than  50°) 
by  night  as  well  as  by  day. 

The  testers  will  give  the  same  results  from  a  test  of  corn, 
and  are  quite  as  good  as  any  of  the  expensive  ones  which 
may  be  bought.  The  results  should  be  studied  with  a  little 
care.  Kernels  which  sprout  badly  or  not  at  all,  or  which 
when  sprouted  do  not  promise  to  give  strong  plants,  show 
that  the  ears  from  which  they  came  should  not  be  used  in 
planting.  Those  which  sprout  actively  show  the  ears  which 
may  be  used. 

The  custom  of  testing  corn  is  one  of  the  wisest,  and  will 
sometimes  nearly  double  the  crop.  One  thing  it  has  proved. 
Corn  should  be  stored,  or  bought,  not  shelled,  but  always  on 
the  ear.  Then  it  can  be  tested. 

The  record  of  a  corn  or  other  seed  test  should  be  carefully 
kept  in  the  note-book. 

But  the  germination,  or  sprouting  test,  is  not  the  only 
way  of  testing  seed.  Seed  is  often  adulterated.  This  is 
not  possible  with  the  seed  of  corn,  or  beans,  or  any  other 
large  and  peculiarly  shaped  seed,  unless  seed  of  another 
variety  of  the  same  kind  is  mixed  with  it.  This  might  be 
done,  and  could  not  be  detected  until  the  crop  is  harvested. 


62  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

But  it  is  possible  to  mix  with  small  seed,  such  as  that  of 
clover,  other  small  seeds  of  a  different  plant,  which  look  so 
much  like  the  clover  seed  as  not  to  be  distinguished  except 
under  the  magnifying  glass.  Chaff,  sand,  and  other  impurities 
are  also  sometimes  mixed  with  small  seed.  The  buyer 
ought  to  know  how  to  tell  if  his  seed  has  been  adulterated. 


FIG.  37.  FIG.  38. 

Fig.  37  shows  "  cheap  "  clover  seed,  containing  many  weeds. 
Fig.  38  shows  "  expensive  "  clover  seed,  with  no  weeds  at  all.     Which 
is  really  cheap  ? 

The  best  practice  for  a  student  is  to  buy  samples  of  seed  of 
different  grades,  cheap  as  well  as  expensive,  and  then  examine 
each  for  the  amount  of  pure  seed. 

For  this  work  will  be  needed  a  common  hand  magnifying 
glass,  such  as  can  be  cheaply  got  in  many  forms.  Then 
take  from  the  seed  (alfalfa,  clover,  or  one  of  the  grasses)  one 
or  two  ounces  according  to  the  size  of  the  seed,  and  very 
carefully  examine  it  under  the  glass,  moving  the  seeds  with 
the  point  of  a  pencil  or  a  knife.  A  very  little  examination 
will  allow  us  to  separate  the  sample  into  three  parts.  One 
will  be  pure  seed.  One  will  be  seed  of  other  kinds.  One 
will  be  waste  matter,  sand,  broken  seed,  or  dirt. 

But  we  cannot  separate  the  pure  seed  from  the  weeds  unless 
we  know  what  the  pure  seed  looks  like.  This  we  can  find 
out  by  study  of  Farmers'  Bulletin  382  ("The  Adulteration  of 
Forage  Plant  Seeds")  which  can  be  got  free  by  applying 


THE  TESTING   OF  SEED  63 

to  the  Editor  and  Chief  of  the  Division  of  Publications,  De- 
partment of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.C.  Its  many 
illustrations  show  both  the  pure  seed  and  its  adulterants, 
which  are  chiefly  weed  seeds  that  cause  much  trouble. 

When  we  have  thus  separated  the  sample,  we  can  estimate 
its  value.  This  dan  be  done  roughly,  by  guessing  at  the 
amount  in  the  three  piles.  Or  it  can  be  done  accurately,  by 
weighing.  The  scales  should  be  delicate ;  yet  if  the  student 
does  not  own  or  care  to  buy  a  set,  he  can,  if  he  is  clever  with 
his  hands,  make  one  himself  by  studying  Exercise  12  in 
Farmers'  Bulletin  408. 

The  combination  of  the  germination  test  with  the  purity 
test  of  seed  is  very  valuable.  After  one  has  separated  out 
the  pure  clover  seed  from  the  sample,  he  may  find  that 
many  of  the  seeds  are  small,  dull  in  color,  or  shriveled. 
Let  him  count  out  a  hundred  of  the  seed,  taking  them  just 
as  they  happen  to  come,  and  test  them  for  sprouting. 

From  the  figures  that  these  various  tests  give  him,  he  can 
make  very  valuable  records.  For  each  test  the  student 
should  put  in  his  note-book  first  the  weight  of  the  sample, 
then  the  weights  of  pure  seed,  weed  seed,  and  waste  matter. 
Next  he  can  calculate  the  percentage  of  pure  seed,  by  dividing 
its  weight  by  the  weight  of  the  sample,  and  multiplying  by 
one  hundred.  He  has  already  been  shown  how  to  find  the 
percentage  of  germination  of  the  seeds  tested.  But  most  im- 
portant of  all  is  the  percentage  of  good  seed  in  the  whole 
sample.  This  is  found  by  multiplying  the  two  percentages 
already  found,  and  dividing  by  one  hundred.  Thus  if  in  a 
sample  there  is  but  seventy  per  cent  of  pure  seed,  and  if  eighty 
per  cent  of  that  germinates,  then  in  the  whole  sample  there 
is  but  fifty-six  per  cent  of  pure  seed. 

A  few  tests  of  this  kind  will  show  which  is  really  cheap 
seed  and  which  is  not.  Seed  which  costs  less  may  often  be 


64  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

so  much  poorer  than  an  expensive  seed  that  it  ought  not  to 
be  planted.  Only  good  seed  is  worth  planting:  "The  best 
is  the  cheapest." 

We  must  not  always  conclude  that  seed  is  bad  because  of 
some  one's  dishonesty.  Uncleanness,  the  mixture  of  weed 
seeds,  or  even  bad  germination,  may  come  only  from  care- 
lessness. The  seed  may  have ,  been  hastily  or  ignorantly 
harvested ;  it  may  not  have  been  properly  cleaned ;  and  it 
may  have  been  badly  stored.  Seed  which  has  been  mois- 
tened, or  which  has  suffered  from  changing  temperature,  will 
not  sprout  well.  That  is  why  the  old-fashioned  corn-crib 
is  not  so  good  for  the  storage  of  seed  as  is  a  dry  and  not  too 
cold  store-room.  And  we  may  conclude  that  to  be  sure 
of  good  seed  we  must  either  handle  it  well  ourselves,  or  buy 
it  from  dealers  who  take  pains  with  the  harvesting,  the 
cleaning,  and  the  storing  of  their  seed. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  do  we  need  to  test  seed? 

2.  Describe  a  simple  form  of  tester. 

3.  Why  is  it  wise  to  test  the  seed  of  corn  ? 

4.  Describe  the  sand-box  tester.     The  sawdust-box  tester.     The 
rag-doll  tester. 

5.  Why  should  we  test  seed  for  impurity  ?    What  do  we  need  for 
the  work  ? 

6.  Why  is  cheap  seed  costly  ? 


CHAPTER  IX 
THE  LIFE  OF  A  PLANT 

THE  study  of  the  sprouting  of  a  seed  has  shown  us  the 
three  parts  of  any  plant :  root,  stem,  and  leaves.  These;  in 
a  young  .and  healthy  plant,  grow  rapidly,  but  the  regions 
of  growth  are  interesting  to  study,  especially  on  the  root 
and  stem.  We  can  do  this  by  means  of  experiments. 

Take  first  any  well-sprouted  seed  which  has  a  root  nearly 
an  inch  long.  Beans  are  best  for  this  purpose,  since  the 
roots  are  so  plump.  On  a  root  make  ink  marks  at  regular 
distances,  say  an  eighth  of  an  inch,  and  place  a  mark  at 
the  very  tip.  This  must  be  done  very  carefully,  with  a  fine 
brush  or  a  very  wet  pen,  taking  pains  not  to  injure  the  root. 
Let  the  ink  dry,  and  then  put  the  seed  between  pieces  of 
damp  blotting  paper,  taking  care  not  to  have  it  too  wet, 
lest  the  ink  markings  run.  At  the  end  of  a  day  examine 
the  root,  and  add  to  the  markings  if  necessary.  A  second 
day's  examination  will  show  very  clearly  that  the  root 
grows  chiefly  at  the  tip. 

Stem  and  root  can  be  studied  in  comparison  with  a  plant 
which  has  further  grown,  and  which,  being  perhaps  a  fort- 
night old,  has  both  stem  and  root.  Using  fine  and  soft  thread, 
and  taking  care  not  to  injure  the  plant,  mark  off  on  stem  and 
root  regular  spaces  with  knots.  Or  use  ink  as  before.  Then 
set  the  roots  between  pieces  of  wet  blotting  paper,  leaving 
the  stem  in  the  air.  As  the  plant  grows  it  can  be  regularly 
examined.  It  will  be  seen  that  both  root  and  stem  grow 
chiefly  at  the  tip. 

F  65 


66  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Why  have  we  been  watering  the  plants  that  we  have  studied, 
by  keeping  the  sand  in  the  testers,  or  the  blotting  paper, 
moist  ?  It  is,  of  course,  because  we  believe  that  the  plant 
needs  the  water.  Now  it  is  interesting  to  try  to  prove  this. 

Take  one  of  the  pots  which  we  have  previously  used 
for  sprouting  seeds,  choosing  one  which  has  one  or  two  strong 
plants.1  Take  another  which  has  no  plants,  but  has  about 
the  same  amount  of  soil.  Cover  them  with  cardboard  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  prevent  evaporation.  The  cardboard 
for  the  pot  containing  the  plants  will  have  to  be  slit 
for  each  plant,  and  the  slits  sealed  again  with  wax.  Keep 
both  pots  in  the  light,  so  that  the  plants  will  thrive. 
Each  pot  should  be  set  in  a  tin  can.  An  inch  above  the  bot- 
tom of  each  pot  make  a  dent  on  the  can,  and  fill  the  can  with 
water  up  to  the  dent.  Every  day  refill  the  cans  to  the  same 
marks,  keeping  a  record  of  the  amount  of  water  poured  into 
each  can.  A  few  days  will  show  a  difference  in  the  amounts  of 
water  used :  the  plant  uses  much ;  the  other  pot,  after  the 
first  day  (when  the  earth  naturally  took  up  a  good  deal  of 
water),  almost  none  at  all. 

We  can  make  either  of  these  experiments  very  sure,  if  we 
wish,  by  keeping  the  water  from  the  pots  or  tumblers  for  a 
couple  of  days.  The  plants  will  wilt.  But  if  water  is 
given  again,  they  will  recover. 

A  plant,  then,  keeps  itself  alive  by  taking  water  from 
the  earth  around  its  roots.  How  does  it  take  up  the  water, 
and  where  does  the  water  go  ? 

To  answer  the  first  question  we  need  first  to  examine 
again  the  roots  of  a  plant,  preferably  a  radish.  The  roots  of 
even  the  very  youngest  radish  are  bristling  with  tiny  hairs, 
easily  seen  without  a  glass.  With  other  plants  we  may  have 

1  At  the  time  this  experiment  is  begun,  a  few  radish  seeds  should  be  started 
in  another  tumbler,  or  pot. 


THE  LIFE  OF  A   PLANT 


67 


to  use  a  magnifier  in  order  to  see  these  root-hairs.     They  are 
the  parts  which  do  the  work  of  drinking  in  the  water. 

But  if  we  suppose  they  have  mouths  for  this  drinking,  we 
are  mistaken.  Their  walls  may  be  very  thin,  but  they  have 
no  openings.  How  can  water  go  through 
the  root-skin,  or  membrane? 

Let  us  first  understand  what  is  meant 
by  a  solution.  It  is  water  in  which  some- 
thing has  been  dissolved.  Stir  salt  in  water, 
and  we  have  a  solution  of  salt.  Touch  the 
tongue  to  it,  and  we  taste  the  salt.  It  is 

by  dissolving  the  salt  that 

we   taste    it,    for    if    we 

should  put  dry  salt   on 

a    perfectly    dry    tongue 

we  could  not  taste  it. 
Second,  some  solutions 

are    thicker,    or  heavier, 

or    denser    than    others. 

Salt  and  water  is  heavier 

than    water    alone,    and 

white   of   egg   is   heavier 

still.     If  we  keep  on  ad- 
ding salt  to  our  solution 

until  the  water  can  dis- 
TEST  solve   no    more,   the    so- 
lution   has    become    very   heavy,    and   is 


FIG.  39.  —  The 
root-hairs  of  a  rad- 
ish  seedling. 
Through  them  the 
plant  feeds. 


let    us   see    how 


FIG.   40.  —  A 
FOR  OSMOSIS. 

A  is  the  thistle-  called   saturated.     Now 

tube,    .D    the    mem- 
brane, A '  the  heavier  this    affects    plants. 

solution^  the  lighter      Take  what  ig  called  &  thistle-tube,  and 

over  its  large  end  tie  a  membrane  of  some 

kind.      A  piece   of  bladder  is   usually  to  be  had  for  this 

purpose.     Take  also  a  wide-mouthed  jar  partly  filled  with 


68  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

water.  Partly  fill  the  thistle-tube  with  our  strong  solu- 
tion of  salt,  and  put  it,  large  end  down,  in  the  bottle, 
so  that  the  top  of  the  salt  solution  stands  at  the  top  of 
the  water.  In  a  couple  of  hours  the  salt  solution  will 
be  seen  to  be  rising  above  the  water,  and  after  a  while  it 
will  even  be  pushed  out  of  the  top  of  the  tube. 

If  we  use  molasses  instead  of  salt,  the  contrast  of  colors 
will  show  the  result  plainly. 

This  seems  to  show  that  a  lighter  liquid  will  force  its  way 
into  a  heavier  liquid,  even  passing  through  a  membrane  first. 
This  is  called  osmosis.  To  partly  test  this,  though  without 
a  membrane  that  we  can  see,  let  us  take  some  fresh  slices 
of  potato,1  drop  some  of  them  into  water,  and  some  into  our 
salt  solution.  At  the  end  of  an  hour  take  them  out.  Those 
taken  from  water  will  be  stiff  and  crisp,  those  from  the  salt 
will  be  soft  and  wilted.  The  water  has  passed  into  the 
potato,  where  the  sap  is  heavier  still.  But  the  sap  has 
passed  from  the  other  slices  into  the  heavy  solution  of  salt. 

Now  we  can  see  clearly  enough  how  water  passes  from  the 
soil,  through  the  skin  of  the  roots,  into  the  plant.  As  we 
shall  presently  show,  soil  water  has  substances  dissolved  in 
it.  Once  in  the  plant,  what  does  the  soil  water  do  ? 

We  can  test  this  by  dropping  into  a  tumbler  half  full  of 
water,  a  spoonful  of  red  ink.  Into  this  put  any  white  flower, 
which  should  be  fresh,  with  its  stem  freshly  cut.  It  should 
best  be  cut  with  a  sharp  knife,  so  as  not  to  bruise  the  fibers. 
On  watching,  we  shall  see  the  red  water  slowly  pass  up  into 
the  flower,  until  it  has  entirely  colored  it.  By  such  simple 
means  we  can  easily  make  what  cannot  grow  in  the  garden, 
a  blue  rose.  We  can  try  the  same  experiment  with  a  tender 
leaf,  and  can  fill  it  with  red  or  blue  sap. 

The  soil  water  therefore  passes  upward  from  the  roots  to 

1  The  membranes  here  are  the  walls  of  the  invisible  cells. 


THE  LIFE  OF  A   PLANT 


69 


the  top  of  a  plant.  This  can  be  proved  differently  by  getting 
a  short  glass  tube,  and  a  plant,  say  a  geranium,  whose  stem 
is  about  the  same  size.  Cut  the  plant  off  near  the  ground, 
and  bind  the  tube  to  the  stem  with  a  strip  of  plaster.  Sap, 
forced  out  by  the  pressure  from 
the  roots,  will  gather  in  the  tube. 

But  why  should  the  soil  water 
pass  upward?  To  understand 
this,  let  us  think  once  more 
about  denser  and  lighter  solu- 
tions. We  have  seen  that  we 
can  make  a  solution  denser  and 
denser  by  adding  salt.  But  of 
course  the  same  result  can  be 
obtained,  from  the  same  solu- 
tion, by  taking  away  water.  If 
we  simmer  it  on  the  stove,  the 
water  will  pass  off  (we  call  it 
evaporating)  and  the  solution 
will  taste  saltier  and  saltier. 

Now  take  any  plant  which  can 
be  covered  by  a  tumbler.  Put 
cardboard  over  its  pot,  and  seal 
the  slit  in  the  cardboard,  as 
before.  Then  turn  the  tumbler 
upside  down  over  the  plant,  standing  it  on  the  cardboard. 
In  a  couple  of  hours  water  will  gather  on  the  glass.  It 
must  have  come  from  the  leaves  of  the  plant,  from  which  it 
evaporated.  The  amount  of  this  evaporation  can  be 
roughly  measured.  See  Fig.  40. 

It  is  now  plain  that  the  leaves  of  a  plant  are  continually 
evaporating  a  part  of  the  water  that  comes  from  the  roots. 
But  if  this  is  always  being  evaporated,  then  the  liquid 


FIG.  41.  —  A  means  of  measur- 
ing the  amount  of  water  evap- 
orated by  a  plant's  leaves,  when 
watered  through  the  thistle-tube. 


70  THE  BEGINNERS  GARDEN  BOOK 

is  always  denser  at  the  top.  Then  the  thinner  solution  is 
always  pressing  upward,  and  the  leaves  are  easily  supplied. 

If  the  soil  water  were  very  dense,  that  is,  if  we  should 
water  our  plant  with  the  salt  solution,  which  is  heavier  than 
sap,  the  circulation  would  of  course  turn  the  other  way.  The 
sap  would  pass  downward  instead  of  upward,  and  the  plant 
would  die. 

We  have  not  yet  proved,  however,  that  soil  water  has  any- 
thing in  solution.  This  can  be  shown  by  an  experiment 
with  which  we  must  take  some  pains.  Take  some  clean 
sand,  enough  to  fill  two  flower  pots,  and  heat  it  over  a  hot 
fire  until  you  have  burned  everything  in  it  that  can  burn. 
Fill  the  pots  with  this  sand  when  cool,  and  in  them  set  two 
plants  of  equal  size :  seedlings  of  corn  or  beans  will  do. 
Now  get  a  few  pailfuls  of  rain  water,  or  melted  snow. 
Neither  of  these  has  been  in  the  soil.  Keep  part  of  it  in  one 
can,  and  put  the  rest  in  another  can  in  which  you  will  stir  a 
few  quarts  of  the  richest  loam  that  you  can  find.  Now  keep 
the  two  plants  watered  differently,  one  with  the  rain  water, 
the  other  with  the  water  in  which  the  loam  has  been  mixed. 
In  a  few  weeks  the  second  plant  should  be  very  much  stronger 
than  the  other.  This  can  only  be  because  the  soil  water  has 
brought  more  food  than  the  rain  water. 

Well  water,  which  has  passed  through  the  earth,  has  also 
dissolved  something  from  the  soil.  Plants  will  grow  in  it 
better  than  in  rain  water.  We  can  try  this  by  fastening  into 
slit  pieces  of  wood  or  cork,  seedlings  of  plants  such  as  tomato 
or  lettuce,  which  have  no  large  cotyledons.  Float  some  of 
these  in  well  water,  others  in  rain  water,  and  see  which  grow 
the  faster. 

So  much  for  the  plant's  need  of  water.  But  one  more 
thing  we  need  to  understand.  If  we  water  a  plant  so  freely 
that  the  earth  is  "  soaking  full,"  so  that  its  top  is  always 


THE  LIFE  OF  A   PLANT  71 

shiny  with  moisture,  the  plant  will  suffer.  We  can  see  why 
if  we  take  some  freshly  boiled  water  and  some  water  from 
the  well  or  the  faucet,  in  different  tumblers.  Then  take  two 
rooted  cuttings,  or  young  plants,  washing  off  all  the  earth. 
Put  one  in  each  tumbler,  but  over  the  boiled  water  pour  a 
little  sweet  oil.  The  other  plant  will  grow  the  better.  For 
in- the  boiled  water  there  is  no  air,  and  no  air  can  get  through 
the  oil.  A  plant  suffers,  then,  if  for  any  reason  air  cannot 
get  to  its  roots.  Air  cannot  well  get  into  soil  that  is  full  of 
water  ;  and  though  the  plant  will  grow,  it  will  grow  better  if 
the  soil  is  moist  rather  than  wet. 

We  know  now,  therefore,  under  what  conditions  a  plant 
grows  best,  and  why  and  how  it  grows.  The  course  of  its 
growth  is  simple.  The  main  root  grows  longer,  and  usually 
it  branches,  sending  out  threads  in  all  directions.  The  stem 
lengthens  also,  makes  leaves,  and  usually  also  branches. 
Through  the  membranes  of  the  roots  enters  a  solution  of 
plant  foods,  which  passes  upward  to  every  part  of  the  plant, 
the  water  finally  evaporating  into  the  air. 

But  if  the  root  is  very  busy,  so  also  is  the  leaf.  To  study 
it  properly  we  should  need  a  real  microscope ;  it  is  work  for 
the  higher  grades.  But  the  structure  and  the  duty  of  the 
leaf  is  easily  explained.  Each  leaf  is  a  factory  of  plant  foods, 
chiefly  of  starch.  Through  its  surface  it  takes  in  a  gas, 
carbon  dioxid.  The  oxygen  of  this  gas  it  returns  to  the  air ; 
the  carbon  it  keeps.  Now  the  color  of  the  leaf  is  caused  by 
many  tiny  cells  containing  a  substance  called  chlorophyll. 
This  uses  the  sunlight,  the  carbon,  and  the  materials  supplied 
by  the  roots,  to  make  the  food  of  the  plant.  A  healthy 
plant  makes  more  food  than  it  needs,  and  so  is  able  to  grow. 
Indeed,  it  ought  xto  make  more  than  enough  to  grow  with, 
so  that  it  can  store  the  starch  in  its  tissues. 

It  is  this  stored  starch  that  enables  a  plant  to  flower. 


72  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

As  we  have  earlier  seen,  the  object  of  every  plant  is  to  make 
seed,  and  for  this  it  is  necessary  first  to  make  flowers.  How 
this  is  done  is  shown  in  an  earlier  chapter.  When  the  seed 
is  made,  the  plant  has  fulfilled  its  purpose. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  At  what  part  of  a  plant  does  its  root  grow?    Prove  it. 

2.  Does  a  plant  use  water  ?    Prove  it. 

3.  What  is  a  solution  ?    A  saturated  solution  ? 

4.  What  is  osmosis?    Where  does  it  occur  in  plants?    What 
solutions  are  in  the  ground  ? 

5.  What  is  made  in  a  leaf  ?    How  ?    Why  ? 


CHAPTER  X 
VARIOUS  WAYS  OF  GROWING  PLANTS 

WE  have  already  studied  the  commonest  way  to  grow 
plants.  In  this  study  we  spoke  as  if  all  plants  can  be  grown 
from  seed  satisfactorily,  and  will  make  seed  satisfactorily 
before  they  die.  Besides,  we  spoke  as  if  a  root  always  has 
branches,  or  a  stem  is  always  plainly  a  stem,  or  a  leaf  is 
always  evidently  a  leaf.  It  was  convenient  to  imagine  all 
this,  which  is  true  of  many  plants.  But  it  is  not  true  of  all. 

For  example,  roots  may  become  thick  and  fleshy,  like  those 
of  the  carrot  and  beet,  which  seldom  branch  at  all.  Or  part 
of  the  stem  may  become  a  tendril ;  or  a  stem  may  live  under- 
ground and  form  swellings,  called  tubers ;  or  it  may  even  seem 
to  be  entirely  missing.  And  the  leaf  may  take  the  strangest 
of  shapes,  from  the  tiny  scale  of  the  asparagus  to  the  thick- 
stemmed  leaf  of  the  chard,  or  the  closely  curled  inner  leaf  of 
the  cabbage. 

But,  what  is  of  still  more  importance,  some  plants  (like  the 
potato)  make  seed  very  imperfectly,  or  almost  not  at  all. 
Other  plants  take  two  years,  or  still  longer,  to  make  seed. 
Again,  the  seeds  of  some  plants  do  not  produce  plants  that 
are  very  much  like  the  parents.  It  pays  to  grow  peas,  beans, 
asters,  zinnias,  and  most  annuals  (or  yearly  plants)  from  seed, 
because  the  new  plants  are  much  the  same  as  the  parents. 
But  the  seeds  of  the  peony  among  flowering  plants,  and  of 
the  potato  among  vegetables,  cannot  be  depended  on  to 
produce  a  crop  of  new  plants  that  are  closely  like  each  other. 
All  crops  vary  somewhat,  but  these  vary  widely. 

73 


74 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


We  have  already  seen,  but  I  will  emphasize  again,  the 
advantage  that  we  gain  from  the  fact  that  all  crops  vary. 
Breeders  or  selecters  watch  for  plants  that  are  better  than 
their  parents,  and  from  their  seed  try  again,  and  yet  again, 

for  still  better 
plants.  Out  of 
many  worthless 
seedlings  they  at 
last  find  just 
what  they  want. 
Thus  have  been 
made  our  modern 
beautiful  flowers. 
The  dahlia  flower 
is  perhaps  the 
one  which  has 
been  the  most 
widely  changed 
in  shape  and 
color;  but  larger 
and  more  beauti- 
ful flowers  of  all 
kinds  are  now  at 
our  service,  be- 
cause by  careful 
crossing,  or  by 
accidentally 

found  plants,  gardeners  have  managed  to  improve  the  plant 
races.  This  is  true  of  vegetables,  also.  I  remember  that 
years  ago  "string"  beans  actually  had  strings  along  the 
pods,  which  had  to  be  stripped  out  before  cooking.  But  now 
good  pods  snap  clean  across,  and  the  new  term,  "snap 
beans,"  has  come  into  use.  And  when  I  was  a  boy  tomatoes 


FIG.  42.  —  Improved  dahlia  flowers. 


VARIOUS   WAYS   OF  GROWING  PLANTS  75 

had  deep  furrows,  and  mostly  had  cores,  far  different  from  the 
modern  large,  smooth,  coreless  fruit.1 

There  is  much  advantage,  then,  in  the  fact  that  plants, 
when  grown  from  seed,  vary  more  or  less  widely.  But  when 
the  variation  is  sure  to  be  great,  or  the  seed  are  few,  or  when 
the  plants  take  years  to  grow,  then  we  must  find  other 
methods  of  growing  plants.  Such  methods  have  been  studied 
out  long  ago. 

The  first  is  by  division  of  the  roots  of  herbaceous  perennials 
—  that  is,  of  plants  whose  tops  die  down  to  the  ground  in  the 
fall,  but  whose  roots  live  from  year  to  year.  When  they  have 
died  down,  we  shall  find  that  each  cluster  of  roots  has,  at  the 
surface,  buds  or  eyes  which  will  make  next  year's  shoots. 
This  is  true  not  only  of  fibrous-rooted  plants,  such  as  Japanese 
iris,  golden  glow,  and  boltonia,  but  also  of  the  tuberous- 
rooted  plants,  such  as  the  German  iris  and  rhubarb.  With 
a  sharp  tool,  a  knife  or  spade,  we  can  separate  the  roots  into 
two  or  more  parts,  each  with  an  eye  or  more.  These  parts, 
when  planted,  will  grow. 

Another  method  of  growing  plants  is  by  tubers.  A  tuber, 
such  as  a  potato  or  a  dahlia  root,  is  a  thickened  underground 
stem,  having  on  it  buds  or  eyes  which  are  capable  of  sprout- 
ing. If  a  potato,  or  a  dahlia  tuber,  is  planted,  or  even  is  kept 
in  a  moderately  warm,  moist  room,  the  eyes  will  send  up 
shoots,  at  the  base  of  which  roots  will  start.  Beginning  thus, 
strong  new  plants  will  produce  new  tubers.  If  the  tubers  are 
large,  they  can  even  be  divided,  so  long  as  there  is  an  eye  to 
each  piece. 

Any  one  can  see,  of  course,  that  there  must  be  still  another 
way  to  produce  plants  from  tubers.  The  tubers  can  be 

1  If  one's  beans  have  strings,  or  one's  tomatoes  have  cores,  they  may  be 
too  old,  or  may  have  had  too  little  water.  But  more  likely  they  came  from 
poor  seed. 


76 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


sprouted,  either  underground  or  in  a  warm  room ;  and  then 
the  sprouts,  with  the  roots  that  spring  from  them,  can  be 
carefully  cut  away  and  planted  separately.  By  this  means 
expensive  tubers  can  be  made  to  yield  the  most,  for  every 
single  eye  is  made  to  produce  a  separate  plant. 

Another  method  of  producing  plants  is  found  in  bulbous 
plants.  In  this  class  I  include  not  only  the  true  bulbs,  such 

as  those  of  the  lily  or  onion, 
but  also  corms,  such  as  those 
of  the  crocus.  All  of  these 
produce  small  bulbs  or  corms, 
either  within  or  close  beside 
the  parent.  These,  dug  up 
every  fall,  and  stored  and 
planted  in  the  spring,  will  in 
a  couple  of  years  grow  to  full 
size. 

Again,  plants  may  be  re- 
produced by  layering.  Here 
we  take  advantage  of  the 
strange  fact  that  if  the  stem 
of  a  plant,  while  it  is  still  at- 
tached to  its  root,  is  bent 

underground  and  then  up  again,  it  will  strike  root  from  the 
buried  part.  The  bark  of  the  buried  stem  must  usually  be 
cut  or  broken,  in  order  to  allow  the  making  of  roots.  When 
the  layered  stem  has  rooted  well,  it  can  be  cut  off  from  the 
parent  plant,  and  set  elsewhere. 

Tip-layering  is  burying  the  tip  of  a  shoot,  which  with 
certain  plants  (the  gooseberry  is  one)  will  root  in  the 
same  way. 

Some  plants  (like  the  blackberry)  send  out  parts  under- 
ground, or  (like  the  strawberry)  above  ground.  These  parts 


FIG.  43.  —  LAYERING. 

The  buried  bark  is  cut  or  broken,  and 
will  then  strike  root. 


VARIOUS    WAYS   OF  GROWING  PLANTS 


11 


either  send  up  shoots  or  send  down  roots.     When  cut  away 
they  will  grow,  and  can  be  set  elsewhere. 

A  very  important  method  of  growing  plants  is  by  means  of 
cuttings.  By  this  method  a  few  years  will  see  a  small  stick 
of  poplar  transformed  into  a  tall  tree.  Every  year  nursery- 
men and  greenhousemen  use  cuttings  to  start  many  thou- 
sands of  plants  of  different  kinds  :  roses,  geraniums,  begonias, 
grape,  willows,  privet.  Fresh  pieces  of  stem,  of  root,  and 
sometimes  even  of  leaf,  are  simply  set  in  moist  sand  or  earth ; 


FIG.  44.  —  Tip-layering  of  black  raspberry. 

and  if  the  work  is  properly  done,  the  cutting  will  strike  root 
and  send  out  leaves.  The  methods  of  making  cuttings  vary 
with  the  plants.  Here  are  directions  for  some  of  the  simplest. 

For  rooting  cuttings  in  the  house,  one  should  have  a  box 
about  five  inches  deep.  In  the  bottom  of  this,  holes  should  be 
bored  to  let  out  water.  Then  should  be  put  in  an  inch  of 
gravel  or  broken  pots,  and  then  four  inches  of  clean,  sharp 
sand,  not  too  fine. 

The  cuttings  are  made  from  almost  any  of  the  house-plants, 
balsam,  roses,  geraniums,  fuchsia,  and  others.  They  should 
be  taken  from  near  the  tips  of  the  shoots,  where  the  stem  may 
be  snapped  off.  If  it  bends  without  breaking,  it  will  not  do. 
The  cut  should  be  made  just  above  a  joint,  and  should  be 


78 


THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 


slanting.     Then  some  of  the  leaves  should  be  stripped,  and 
the  rest  trimmed  a  little,  so  as  to  leave  for  each  cutting  but  a 

few  inches  of  leaf.  These 
cuttings  should  set  in  the 
sand  to  a  depth  of  about 
two  inches,  and  the  sand 
kept  wet  and  warm  until 
the  cuttings  have  struck 
root.  They  may  stand 
pretty  close  together,  and 
occasionally,  after  about 
ten  days,  one  or  more  may 
be  examined  to  see  if  the 
roots  have  started.  When 
the  end  of  the  cutting  has 
healed  over,  roots  are  sure 

FiG.45.  — Softwood  cutting,  a  geranium.   to   gtart   gOQn 
Line  shows  depth  to  plant. 

The  box    of    cuttings 

should  be  kept  in  a  room  that  is  warm  in  the  daytime,  and 
never  less  than  50  degrees  at  night.  It  should  have  plenty 
of  light,  but  should  be  shaded 
from  the  hot  sun  except  for  a 
little  while  each  day.  The 
cuttings  start  best  if  heat  is 
applied  below,  by  setting  the 
box  on  a  radiator.  And  they 
may  be  helped  if  the  box  is  set 
in  another,  with  glass  laid  on 
top.  But  the  air  in  this  outer 


FIG.  46.  —  Box  for  starting  cuttings. 
Do  not  keep  it  too  moist. 


box  should  not  be  kept  too 

moist,  for  fear  of  disease;    and  so  the  glass  should  not  be 

tight,  and  should  be  occasionally  entirely  removed. 

From  such  plants  as  the  begonia  and  gloxinia,  cuttings 


VARIOUS   WAYS   OF  GROWING   PLANTS 


79 


may  be  started  from  leaves.     A  triangular  piece  is  cut  off, 
and  one  side  is  set  in  the  wet  sand.     Or  the  leaf  may  be  laid 


FIG.  47.  —  Begonia  leaf-cutting.     Small  plants  are  starting  when  the  leaf 
has  been  pegged  down. 

on  the  sand,  face  up,  and  pegged  down  through  the  veins. 
At  these  broken  veins,  or  at  cut  places  on  the  edges,  similarly 
held  to  the  sand,  plants  will  spring  up. 


FIG.  48.  —  PLANTING  HARDWOOD  CUTTINGS. 

Set  the  upper  bud  near  the  surface.     A  trench  makes  it  easier  to  plant 
cuttings  taken  with  a  "  heel  "  of  older  wood. 


80 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


So  much  for  softwood  or  leaf  cuttings.      Hardwood  cut- 
tings are  different.    They  should  be  seven  or  eight  inches  long, 

taken  from  such  plants  as 
dogwood, 
forsythia. 


privet,  grape, 
The  cuttings 
should  each  include  two 
or  more  buds.  If  taken 
in  the  fall,  they  should 
be  bundled,  and  buried 
where  they  will  remain 
moist,  but  not  frozen,  all 
winter.  In  the  spring 
they  should  be  set,  butt 
down,1  in  moist  earth, 
and  tended  well.  It  may 
seem  a  long  time  before 
leaves  appear,  but  they 
will  finally  come. 

Root  cuttings  of  the 
blackberry,  raspberry, 
sea-kale,  and  horse-radish, 

FIG.  49.  —  A  grape  cutting  and  its  growth  ' 

in  a  year.  are   handled  much  in  the 

same  way,  except  that  in 

the  spring  they  are  planted  horizontally,  about  two  inches 
down. 

Hardwood  cuttings,  if  taken 
in  spring,  are  simply  planted  at 
once.  Their  rooting  will  take 

longer.  FIG  5Q  _  Root  cutting  of  black_ 

These  are  not  all  the  methods  berry. 

1  It  is  well,  while  making  the  cuttings,  to  trim  the  butts  slanting,  the  tops 
square,  in  order  to  tell  them  apart.  The  cuts  should  be  made  with  a  sharp 
knife,  not  with  pruning  shears,  which  bruise  the  bark. 


VARIOUS    WAYS   OF  GROWING  PLANTS  81 

of  making  new  plants,  but  they  are  all  that  we  need  to 
know.  Working  at  school  or  at  home,  in  summer  or  in 
winter,  we  can  in  these  ways  make  certain  kinds  of  new 
plants  more  quickly  and  surely  than  by  sowing  seed. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  root  division? 

2.  What  are  tubers  ?     How  do  they  produce  plants  ? 

3.  How  do  bulbs  increase  their  numbers  ? 

4.  What-  is  layering  ?     Tip-layering  ? 

5.  What  are  soft  cuttings,  and  how  can  they  be  made  to  strike 
root? 

6.  What  are  hardwood  cuttings,  and  how  should  they  be  handled  ? 

7.  What  are  root  cuttings  ?     How  would  you  plant  them  ? 


CHAPTER  XI 
THE  SOIL 

AT  first  sight,  what  is  so  uninteresting  as  a  handful  of  dirt  ? 
One's  first  idea  is  to  throw  it  away  and  wash  the  hands. 

But  wait  a  bit.  What  can  we  do  without  dirt  ?  Suppose 
the  earth  were  what  wise  men  say  it  once  was  —  naked 
rock  ?  How  clean  !  We  should  not  get  dirty  from  it.  Yet 
about  dinner  time,  how  should  we  get  food  ?  No  vegetables 
could  be  had,  certainly.  And  no  meat,  since  animals  and  birds 
depend  on  vegetables.  We  would  then  gladly  exchange  our 
nice  clean  rock  for  a  few  acres  of  good  rich  dirt  in  which 
vegetables  were  growing. 

Save  the  handful  of  earth,  then,  and  look  at  it  respectfully. 
Through  ages  it  has  been  made  from  the  naked  rock,  until 
now  it  is  full  of  life.  Look,  a  worm  is  wriggling  in  it.  Don't 
hurt  him  ;  he  is  a  good  friend.  A  beetle  scuttles  away  from 
it.  He  may  be  an  enemy.  Under  the  microscope  we  should 
find  this  handful  of  dirt  swarming  with  tiny  living  things 
called  bacteria.  They  do  valuable  work  in  making  plants 
grow.  Keep  the  soil  moist,  put  it  in  a  warm  place,  and  in  a 
few  days  we  shall  note  the  sprouting  of  the  seeds  that  have 
been  concealed  in  it. 

This  handful  of  earth  is  worth  study.  Let  us  see  what  we 
can  learn  from  it. 

Let  me  begin  with  my  statement  that  this  soil  was  made 
from  rock.  Look  at  a  bowlder  lying  in  the  field,  the  stones. 
in  an  old  wall,  or  even  the  bricks  of  a  very  old  house, 

82 


THE  SOIL  83X 

surfaces  are  rough  to  the  touch,  the  edges  are  rounded,  there 
are  cracks  here  and  there.  Study  the  face  of  any  cliff,  note 
its  great  cracks,  and  see  what  huge  fragments  have  split  off 
and  are  lying  at  the  bottom.  Look  at  the  stones  in  a  brook  : 
they  are  rounded,  and  where  they  are  softest  there  they  are 
worn  away  the  most.  After  a  rain  the  brook  is  cloudy  with 
mud.  All  these  things  show  the  effect  of  air  and  water,  sun 
and  frost,  on  the  rocks.  The  sun  and  the  frost  crack  the 
stone,  water  works  in,  dissolves  some  of  the  stone,  and,  freez- 
ing, makes  the  crack  wider.  Fragments,  falling,  break 
against  each  other;  the  brook  grinds  them  heavily,  and 
slowly  they  become  smaller  and  smaller.  They  are  made  into 
sand. 

Where  these  smaller  pieces  are  thickest  is  of  course  the 
bottoms  of  slopes  and  the  mouths  of  rivers,  where  water  has 
carried  them.  But  to  go  farther  into  this  takes  us  into  the 
study  of  geology. 

Among  the  small  fragments,  and  in  the  hollows  of  the  rocks 
where  dust  had  settled  in  the  cracks,  grew  the  first  plants. 
When  they  died  they  decayed,  and  made  food  for  later  plants. 
The  dead  matter  mixed  with  the  broken  rock,  and  darkened 
it.  This  was  the  beginning  of  loam. 

Let  us  study  a  handful  of  the  loam  which  we  took  from  the 
garden.  Get  a  tall,  narrow  bottle  :  a  stuffed-olive  bottle  is 
perfect  for  the  purpose.  Into  this  put  two  tablespoonfuls  of 
the  loam,  after  you  have  picked  out  everything,  whether 
stick  or  stone,  that  is  big  enough  to  be  noticed.  Fill  the 
bottle  nearly  full  with  water,  cork  it  or  stop  it  with  the  palm, 
and  shake  as  vigorously  as  you  can.  If  at  first  the  earth 
clings  to  the  bottom,  stir  it  with  a  stick.  Then  when  the 
whole  is  swirling  violently,  put  the  bottle  down  and  let  the 
contents  settle.  Watch  it. 

You  will  notice  that  almost  at  once  you  can  see  grains,  as 


84  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

of  sand,  forming  a  layer  on  the  bottom.  Presently  these 
grains  become  smaller,  though  you  can  still  see  each  one.  But 
after  the  first  minute  the  settling  earth  begins  to  show  as  a 
layer  of  very  fine  material ;  and  at  the  end  of  five  minutes 
that  which  is  coming  to  the  bottom  is  now  the  very  finest  of 
mud. 

Thus  we  have  made  this  loam  show  what  it  consists  of : 
first  coarse  sand ;  then  finer  sand ;  then  what  is  called  silt, 
or  fine  earth ;  and  at  last  very  fine  particles  which  scientists 
call  clay.  We  are  told  that  it  takes  400,000  of  these  last, 
set  in  line,  to  measure  an  inch. 

Above  this  in  the  bottle  is  left  dirty  water,  in  which  are 
floating,  at  different  depths,  particles  which  evidently  will 
not  sink  entirely  to  the  bottom. 

To  separate  these  parts  of  the  loam,  provide  three  tumblers. 
Once  more  put  into  the  bottle  earth  and  water,  and  shake  it 
up.  When  it  is  in  strong  commotion,  set  the  bottle  on  the 
table,  and  wait  till  you  count  five,  slowly.  Then  quickly, 
but  without  stirring  up  that  which  has  already  settled,  pour 
the  muddy  water  into  the  first  tumbler.  Leave  it  there  till 
you  count  thirty,  slowly,  and  then  pour  the  liquid  into  the 
second  tumbler.  Leave  it  now  for  a  full  minute,  or  a  little 
longer,  and  pour  into  the  third  tumbler,  where  the  water  is 
to  be  left  half  an  hour,  or  even  overnight.  When  at  last 
the  water  is  poured  away  (notice  again  that  it  is  discolored, 
and  has  certain  particles  floating  in  it),  we  are  ready  to  ex- 
amine the  four  kinds  of  soil  which  we  have  separated  from 
each  other. 

In  the  bottle  is  coarse,  almost  gravelly,  sand. 

In  the  first  tumbler  is  sand,  varying  from  medium  to  fine. 

In  the  second  tumbler  is  silt. 

In  the  third  tumbler  is  the  finest  and  smoothest  deposit. 
It  is  clay. 


THE  SOIL 


85 


This  experiment  can,  if  we  please,  be  tried  with  more 
tumblers,  to  the  number  of  six  or  seven.     It  is  plain,  how- 


FIG.  51.  —  THE  MAKE-UP  OF  A  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  first  five  bottles  show  different  grades  of  sand.     The  next  two  show 
silt  and  clay.     Such  a  soil  naturally  drains  well. 

ever,  that  we  shall  only  separate  our  grades  of  earth  into 
classes  that  will  not  be  of  much  value  to  us.  We  have  already 
found  the  important  parts  of  loam, 
in  coarse  and  fine  sand,  silt,  and 
clay. 

If  now  different  members  of  a 
class  examine  in  this  way  the  loam 
from  their  gardens,  wide  differences 
in  them  may  be  found.  One  may 
have  more  sand,  another  more  silt, 
another  more  clay.  Names  have 
been  given  to  these  different  earths  : 
sandy  loams,  medium  loams,  clay 
loams.  Even  without  such  an  ex- 
amination the  loams  can  roughly 
be  distinguished  from  each  other 
by  their  color,  for  the  sandy  loam  is  light  brown,  the 
medium  a  medium  brown,  and  the  clay  loam  a  dark  brown 
that  at  times  almost  becomes  black. 


FIG.  52.  —  THE  MAKE-UP  OF 
A  CLAY  LOAM. 

The  left  hand  bottle. con- 
tains sand,  the  next  silt,  the 
next  clay.  Such  a  soil  is 
naturally  moist. 


86  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

It  is  plain  that  the  sandy  loam,  being  the  coarsest,  has  the 
fewest  soil  particles,  and  that  the  clay  loam  has  the  most. 
Suppose  you  try  drying  out  the  finest  of  the  mud  :  it  becomes 
a  very  fine  dust.  To  count  the  particles  of  this  dust,  or  even 
of  the  sand,  would  be  a  very  difficult  task,  yet  it  has  been 
attempted.  The  conclusion  was  that  a  gram  (that  is,  less 
than  a  third  of  an  ounce)  of  sandy  loam  contains  about  two 
billion  soil  particles.  This  number  increases  steadily  as  the 
loam  grows  finer,  until  the  clay  loam  sometimes  contains 
twenty  billion  particles  per  gram  ! 

But  we  are  far  from  finding  all  the  important  parts  of  the 
loam.  Sand,  silt,  and  clay  are  very  important,  but  we  must 
not  forget  those  particles,  more  or  less  water-soaked,  which 
we  saw  floating  in  the  water.  Let  us  examine  the  tumbler 
containing  the  fine  clay,  or  the  coarser  silt.  As  we  look 
down  into  it  we  see  that  the  layer  at  the  bottom  is  by  no 
means  made  up  of  little  particles,  all  small  and  round. 
Here  and  there,  in  fact  quite  plentifully,  we  shall  see  what 
seem  to  be  little  short  hairs,  or  the  tiniest  of  sticks,  bent  or 
crooked,  lying  among  the  rock  particles.  These  are  not  made 
of  minerals.  No,  they  were  once  alive,  are  bits  of  roots  or 
leaves,  which  have  rotted  in  the  soil.  "  Decaying  vegetable 
matter,"  or  "  humus,"  — that  is  what  we  have  discovered. 

Those  floating  things  in  the  water  are  of  the  same  sort, 
but  not  yet  so  rotted  as  to  be  waterlogged.  And  the  dirty 
water  is  the  soil  water  to  feed  the  plants,  with  the  very  tiniest 
of  particles  still  suspended. 

But  did  we  pour  away  all  the  water  ?  Take  some  of  your 
silt  and  stir  it  in  the  sun,  or  heat  it  over  a  fire.  It  grows 
lighter  in  color,  and  you  know  why.  It  is  drying  out. 
Water,  then,  is  present  in  every  garden,  clinging  to  each 
particle.  In  fact,  every  tiniest  particle  of  soil  is  coated  with 
a  film  of  water. 


THE  SOIL  87 

One  more  discovery,  and  we  have  finished.  Between  these 
soil  particles  in  our  handful  of  dirt,  each  one  coated  with 
water,  there  must  be  air.  That  is  the  last  thing  we  shall 
now  look  for  in  our  handful  of  dirt.  It  is  true  that  the 
chemist  and  the  man  with  the  microscope  have  more  to  say, 
but  for  the  present  we  have  gone  far  enough  in  our  examina- 
tion of  the  soil. 

The  soil  or  loam  in  our  gardens,  which  is  made  of  sand, 
silt,  clay,  and  humus,  was  mixed  by  nature  through  hundreds 
of  years.  We  ourselves  can  mix  soils  for  our  owri  purposes. 
We  can  take  sand  (coarse  or  fine),  ordinary  loam,  mold  from 
rotted  leaves  or  sod  or  manure,  and  by  mixing  them  can  pro- 
duce soils  that  are  more  or  less  rich,  or  more  or  less  loose, 
according  to  the  needs  of  the  seeds  or  plants  which  we 
mean  to  grow  in  them. 

And  upon  some  mixture  of  the  kind,  with  water  and  air, 
depends  every  living  creature  in  the  world.  The  savage 
may  feast  on  the  lion  that  preys  on  the  antelope,  but  the 
antelope  lives  on  grass.  Take  away  the  grass,  and  you  take 
away  also  the  antelope  and  the  lion  and  the  savage.  Even 
civilized  man,  with  all  his  cleverness,  would  surely  starve 
to  death  if  vegetable  life  had  no  soil  to  flourish  in. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  How  is  soil  made?    What  is  loam?    Subsoil? 

2.  How  can  you  test  any  loam  ?    What  parts  can  it  be  separated 
into? 

3.  What  are  the  three  chief  kinds  of  loam  ?    To  which  does  the 
loam  in  your  garden  belong  ? 

4.  What  is  humus  ? 

5.  Explain  the  making  of  a  loam  for  indoor  work. 

6.  Could  we  live  without  soil  ?    Why  ? 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  SOIL  WATER 

WITHOUT  water  the  soil  cannot  feed  plants.  It  is  wise  to 
know  why  and  how  the  work  of  feeding  is  done.  For  this 
purpose,  and  in  order  to  understand  the  differences  in  soils, 
let  us  get  soils  of  three  kinds  —  clayey,  sandy,  and  loamy  or 
medium  —  with  some  very  well-rotted  manure  or  leaf  mold. 
Get  also  some  tumblers,  some  flower  pots  of  the  right  size  to 
stand  upon  them  (not  fit  into  them) ,  and  a  pan  and  pitcher 
or  two.  Get  also  a  graduate,  or  pouring  vessel  marked  off 
into  pretty  fine  divisions.  It  can  be  bought  at  a  photog- 
rapher's. Tin  cans  may  serve  instead  of  flower  pots,  but 
they  should  have  holes  punched  in  their  bottoms. 

In  the  first  place,  since  soils  get  their  water  from  the  rain, 
let  us  understand  what  happens  when  the  rain  falls.  Fill 
pots,  or  cans,  with  the  different  kinds  of  soil,  and  if  pure  sand 
is  convenient,  use  that  also.  Fill  a  pot  with  manure  or  mold, 
well  packed.  The  experiment  will  work  better  if  the  soils 
have  been  thoroughly  dried,  and  in  any  case  they  should  not 
be  moist.  Stand  each  pot  on  a  tumbler. 

Now  into  the  pot  containing  sand,  or  sandy  loam,  pour 
water  from  the  graduate,  which  should  be  filled  to  the  top. 
Pour  slowly,  moving  the  stream  about  on  the  surface  so  as 
to  wet  the  soil  thoroughly.  As  soon  as  water  begins  to  drip 
into  the  tumbler,  stop  pouring,  and  record  the  amount 
poured  into  the  soil.  Do  this  with  all  the  other  soils,  and 
note  the  different  amounts  of  water  which  each  will  hold. 

88 


THE  SOIL    WATER  89 

If  you  have  no  graduate,  weigh  the  pots  before  and  after 
pouring,  and  note  the  differences.  Either  of  these  experi- 
ments will  show  that  the  sandy  soil  holds  least,  the  clay  soil 
holds  most,  water. 

To  understand  this,  dip  a  pebble  into  water,  and  notice 
that  you  cannot  shake  all  the  water  off  it.  It  remains  moist 
until  it  dries  in  the  air,  or  is  wiped.  Every  tiny  grain  of 
soil  is  like  the  pebble,  for  it  will  take  and  hold  a  film  of  water. 
But  now  take  a  piece  of  wood,  best  a  cube  of  an  inch,  and 
estimate  its  surface.  Split  it  once,  and  see  how  much  the  sur- 
faces measure  now.  In  the  case  of  an  inch  cube,  two  square 
inches  of  water-holding  surface  have  been  added  by  splitting. 
Split  again,  and  yet  again,  and  you  will  see  how  rapidly 
the  surface  increases.  In  the  case  of  soils,  this  shows  that 
the  finer  soils  naturally  have  more  water-holding  surface. 
Therefore,  of  course,  the  clay  soils  will  hold  more  water  than 
the  sandy. 

If  the  manure,  or  leaf  mold,  has  been  of  good  quality,  and 
pretty  finely  ground,  it  will  hold  more  water  than  any  of  the 
soils.  This  is  because,  unlike  the  rock  particles,  it  does  not 
merely  hold  the  water  on  its  surface,  but  soaks  it  in  like  a 
sponge.  To  show  the  difference,  take  a  pot  of  sandy  loam, 
and  another  in  which  the  loam  has  been  mixed  with  one 
quarter  of  its  amount  of  manure.  Then,  as  before,  find  the 
amount  of  water  which  these  two  will  hold. 

We  can  conclude  from  all  this  that  the  finer  the  particles 
of  a  soil,  the  better  it  is  able  to  supply  plants  with  water. 
(Other  reasons  may  interfere,  of  course,  to  show  why,  for 
certain  plants,  clay  soils  may  not  be  the  best  after  all.)  We 
can  also  conclude  that  manure  added  to  a  soil  will  enable  it 
better  to  hold  water. 

Let  us  try  our  first  experiment  over  again,  first  plugging 
the  holes  in  the  pots,  and  then  pouring  in  the  water  until  it 


90  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

stands  clear  on  the  surface.  Much  more  water  will  be  needed 
for  this,  since  we  have  not  merely  wet  all  the  particles,  but 
have  filled  all  the  spaces  between  them.  The  air  is  all  driven 
out  of  the  soil.  The  difference  between  the  different  kinds 
of  soil  is  not  great,  although  still  the  clay  and  the  manure 
hold  most  moisture.  Now  draw  out  the  plugs  and  let  the 
extra  water  run  away,  noting  with  the  watch  how  soon  the 
drip  becomes  very  slow.  As  we  should  expect,  the  pot  of 
sandy  soil  gives  off  most  water,  but  also  gives  it  off  quickest. 
Left  standing  overnight,  the  clay  pot  may  still  be  dripping  in 
the  morning,  after  the  sandy  pot  has  given  off  all  it  can. 
To  put  this  differently,  the  sandy  soil  has  quickest  filled  itself 
with  air. 

Sandy  soil  is,  therefore,  soon  ready  after  a  heavy  rain  to  re- 
ceive seeds  or  nourish  plants.  Clay  soils  may  be  a  day  later. 
Clay  soils  are  therefore  late  soils,  and  sandy  soils  early. 
This  shows  itself  especially  in  spring,  when  a  sandy  soil  is 
often  ready  for  planting  many  days  earlier. 

This  study  of  the  quickness  with  which  soils  lose  their 
extra  water  shows  us  why  florists  put  gravel  or  broken  pots  at 
the  bottom  of  flower  pots  of  any  size.  It  is  to  help  the  water 
to  drain  away.  Now  in  the  fields  there  is  usually,  under  the 
loam,  material  that  serves  the  same  purpose.  The  subsoil, 
the  lighter  soil  which  lies  under  the  dark  loam,  is  commonly 
stony,  gravelly,  or  sandy,  and  rapidly  leads  the  free  water 
away.  But  sometimes  under  a  whole  field,  or  parts  of  it,  will 
lie  hardpan  or  clay,  neither  of  which  readily  lets  water 
through.  Or  sometimes  springs  are  so  numerous  in  a  field 
that  the  subsoil,  however  good,  cannot  take  the  water  away. 
In  these  cases  the  loam  will  be  wet,  or  even  swampy. 

When  this  is  the  case  something  must  be  done  to  the  field 
in  order  to  lead  the  water  away.  That  is,  it  must  be  drained. 
Open  ditches,  which  act  like  brooks,  taking  the  water  to  a 


THE  SOIL   WATER  91 

lower  level,  are  the  simplest  drains,  but  they  are  troublesome. 
It  is  better  to  fill  the  bottoms  with  something  to  conduct 
the  water  away,  and  then  to  fill  in  the  ditches.  Large  pipes 
of  hard-baked  clay,  specially  made,  called  drain  tiles,  and 
laid  with  a  slight  slope,  are  the  best  things  for  this  purpose. 

All  this  has  to  do  with  the  movement  of  water  downward 
in  the  soil.  But  curiously,  water  moves  upward  as  well. 
To  show  this,  let  us  fill  four  pots  with  our  four  different  kinds 
of  dry  soil,  varying  from  sandy  to  clayey.  Set  the  pots  in  a 
pan,  and  in  it  pour  an  inch  or  more  of  water.  Naturally 
some  of  the  water  makes  its  way  at  once  inside  the  pots,  and 
stands  at  the  level  of  the  water  outside.  But  look  at  the 
pots  after  half  an  hour.  The  water  in  the  pan  has  lowered, 
while  at  the  same  time  it  has  risen  in  the  pots,  till  before  very 
long  we  see  it  glistening  at  the  surface  of  all  of  them. 

This  upward  movement  of  water  is  called  "capillary 
action,"  because  it  was  first  discovered  in  the  case  of  fine 
tubes,  such  as  the  hair-like  (or  capillary)  tube  of  a  ther- 
mometer. Set  a  broken  thermometer  tube,  containing 
no  mercury,  and  open  at  both  ends,  in  water,  and  the  water 
in  the  tube  will  climb  above  the  surface  of  the  water  outside. 
Or  lay  two  plates  of  glass,  one  above  the  other  but  kept  from 
touching  by  a  needle  laid  between  them,  slanting  into  water. 
The  water  will  climb  out  between  them,  and  will  climb 
highest  where  the  plates  lie  closest. 

Capillary  action  is  useful  in  lamps.  We  can  see  how  a 
wick  works,  if  we  take  a  tumbler  half  full  of  water,  and  from 
it  hang  a  wet  wick  over  into  an  empty  one  beside  it.  The 
water  will  continually  climb  the  wick  and  drip  into  the  empty 
tumbler.  In  the  same  way  the  wick  of  a  lamp  continually 
feeds  oil  upward  to  the  flame.  And  in  the  soil,  the  particles 
that  touch  act  as  wicks  or  tubes  to  lead  the  water  upward 
by  capillarity. 


92  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Thus  when,  after  a  rain,  the  free  water  has  drained  away, 
the  film  water,  remaining,  tends  to  climb  upward  as  we  have 
seen  it  do  from  the  pan.  It  will  keep  on  climbing  as  fast  as 
it  dries  away  at  the  top,  and  so  will  finally  dry  out.  That  is 
bad  for  any  garden,  but  it  can  be  prevented.  To  find  out 
how,  take  four  flower  pots,  and  fill  them  with  wet  soil  to 
within  an  inch  and  a  half  of  the  top.  Now  fill  the  first 
entirely  full  with  the  same  soil,  packing  the  surface  as  rain 
would  do.  Into  the  second  put  more  soil,  but  loosely,  and 
keep  it  loose  by  stirring,  so  that  the  water  shall  not  come  up 


FIG.  53.  —  A  foot  print  in  mulched  soil.     Capillarity  and  drying 
are  rapid  where  the  shoe  has  packed  the  earth. 

from  below.  This  covering  of  loose  soil  will  presently 
become  dry.  Into  the  top  of  the  third  put  an  inch  and  a  half 
of  very  fine  rotted  manure,  or  chopped  straw,  or  even  bran. 
Cover  the  fourth  closely  with  a  piece  of  waxed  cardboard, 
cut  to  fit  the  pot.  Now  weigh  all  the  pots,  and  continue  to 
weigh  them  once  or  twice  daily  for  three  or  four  days.  Re- 
cord the  weights,  and  finally  compare  them.  The  first  pot 
has  dried  fastest  of  all,  the  last  the  slowest. 

It  is  probably  plain  that  if  we  could  cover  the  surfaces  of  our 
gardens  with  rubber  sheets,  or  boards  (have  you  ever  noticed 
that  the  bare  earth  beneath  a  board  is  always  damp?),  or 
something  else  which,  like  our  waxed  cardboard,  will  not  let 
the  water  out,  the  soil  would  dry  only  by  evaporation  from 


THE  SOIL    WATER 


93 


the  plants.  But  the  next  rain  could  not  get  in ;  and  besides, 
such  a  covering  is  not  practical.  A  loose  and  pretty  light 
covering,  like  old  manure,  is  very  much  better,  and  is  often 
put  around  plants.  Straw  is  sometimes  laid  on  the  bare 
ground  of  a  potato  patch,  and  makes  a  fine  protection  against 
drying.  But  cheapest  and  simplest  of  all  is  simply  to  stir 
the  surface  of  the  garden  after  a  rain,  to  the  depth  of  a 
couple  of  inches.  The 
loose  dirt  speedily  dries 
out  in  the  sun,  and  crum- 
bles to  dust.  Of  course  we 
have  lost  the  moisture  that 
it  contained ;  but  the  dust 
preserves  the  water  that 
remains  below. 

This  stirring  of  the  sur- 
face is  called  cultivation, 
and  the  dust  covering  is 
called  a  mulch.  When  we 
spread  manure  or  lawn  clip- 
pings around  a  plant,  to 
save  the  moisture,  we  are 
mulching  it.  "  Dry  Farm- 
ing," in  our  very  dry  re- 
gions, depends  on  very  deep  cultivation,  continued  the  year 
round  except  during  frost,  to  save  the  water. 

Take  now  our  four  pots  of  soil,  which  are  shiny  with  the 
moisture  which  they  have  taken  up  from  the  pan,  and  see 
which  of  them  will  first  allow  the  making  of  a  mulch.  Use 
a  table  fork.  The  sandy  soil  will  allow  it  almost  at  once, 
and  the  sandier  the  better  for  this  purpose.  The  clay  soil 
cannot  be  stirred  sometimes  for  a  day  or  more  without  run- 
ning the  danger  of  making  lumps.  These  lumps,  set  in  the 


FIG.  54.  —  A  clay  soil  left  too  long 
after  a  rain.  It  has  baked,  and  is  drying 
out  through  the  cracks. 


94  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

sun,  will  often  bake  hard.  Again,  a  clay  soil,  if  left  too  long, 
will  bake,  crack  deeply,  and  dry  out  through  the  cracks. 
The  sandy  soil,  therefore,  has  an  advantage  over  the  clay 
soil. 

Again,  take  the  four  pots,  wet  to  the  top,  and  set  in  the 
sun  after  taking  the  temperature  of  each.  Record  the  tem- 
perature throughout  the  day,  and  see  if  the  sandy  soil  does 
not  warm  up  much  the  fastest.  If  you  had  cultivated  it 
first,  it  would  have  warmed  faster  still.  A  clay  soil  will  there- 
fore take  much  longer  to  warm  in  spring,  or  after  a  rain.  If 
you  looked  for  a  reason  you  would  need  to  be  told  that 
evaporation  (or  drying)  continues  longest  from  the  wet  clay, 
and  that  evaporation  chills.  That  is  why  your  wet  hand 
feels  cold  when  you  hold  it  in  the  wind. 

We  have  now  found  two  advantages  of  the  sandy  soil  over 
the  clayey.  For  a  crop  that  needs  a  quick  start  in  spring, 
or  which  wants  warmth  more  than  a  great  supply  of  water,  it 
is  the  better  soil. 

As  we  think  over  the  kinds  of  soil  and  their  advantages, 
we  wonder  how  we  can  change  what  we  have  in  our  garden. 
The  sandy  soil  often  holds  too  little  water.  We  can  improve 
it  by  working  into  it  manure,  which  holds  water  well.  We 
could,  of  course,  work  clay  in,  but  as  clay  is  hard  to  handle 
that  is  seldom  done.  On  the  other  hand,  sand  is  often  worked 
into  clay  soil,  to  lighten  it.  Very  fine  coal  ashes  will  also 
improve  clays.  But  best  of  all  is  manure,  whose  fine  light 
fibers  do  the  same  service,  and  which  provides  plant  food  in 
addition. 

There  is  yet  another  method  of  improving  clay  soils.  We 
have  seen  that  they  puddle,  that  is,  cake,  when  worked  too 
soon  after  a  rain.  A  clay  soil  plowed  too  soon  in  spring  may 
be  injured  for  two  or  three  years  by  this  caking.  To  show  the 
difference  in  soils  in  this  respect,  make  mud-balls  of  the 


THE  SOIL    WATER  95 

different  kinds  of  soil,  and  set  them  in  the  warm  sun  or  on 
a  stove.  The  sandy  ball  will  crumble  away,  the  loamy  soil 
will  cling  longer,  and  the  clay  ball  will  bake  hard.  But 
moisten  it,  and  set  it  outdoors  on  a  freezing  night,  and  it  will 
begin  to  break  up.  Clay  soils  plowed  in  fall  are  usually 
improved  by  the  winter's  frost. 

Finally,  clay  soils  may  be  improved  by  lime.  To  show 
this,  get  a  lump  of  stone  lime  about  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg, 
and  slake  it  in  water  until  the  mixture  is  a  creamy  whitewash., 
Get  four  four-pound  lots  of  clay  soil.  Mix  the  first  with  a 
half  ounce  of  the  whitewash,  the  second  with  an  ounce,  the 
third  with  four  ounces.  With  the  other  put  plain  water, 
or  none  at  all,  if  the  soil  is  moist.  Now  mold  Jbhe  four 
samples  into  balls  of  uniform  size,  and  allow  them  to  dry  and 
harden.  Finally  test  them  by  dropping  from  different 
heights.  Those  which  have  the  most  lime  will  break  the 
easiest. 

This  happens  because  the  lime  has  made  the  fine  par- 
ticles of  clay  cling  together  in  groups,  like  grains  of  sand. 
To  show  this,  mix  water  with  our  whitewash,  let  it  settle, 
and  draw  off  into  a  bottle  some  of  the  clear  liquid.  Into 
another  bottle  put  pure  water.  Drop  into  each  some  clay, 
shake  vigorously,  and  allow  both  to  settle.  From  the  lime 
water  the  clay  will  settle  quickest.  If  the  water  is  poured 
off,  and  the  soil  taken  out  and  dried,  the  limed  clay  will  be 
granular  (grainy)  and  will  crumble  quickest. 

To  improve  a  clay  soil,  therefore,  lime  should  be  worked 
into  it. 

We  ought  to  know,  now,  something  about  the  soil  of  our 
gardens,  how  they  will  act  and  how  to  improve  them.  If 
you  have  tested  the  soil  of  your  garden,  write  in  your  note- 
book how  to  make  it  better.  Calculate  the  cost,  and  plan 
how  to  get  the  money  for  it. 


96     'V.          THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1 .  Which  of  the  three  kinds  of  loam  holds  the  least  water  ?   Which 
the  most  ?    In  each  case,  why  ? 

2.  How  does  a  particle  of  soil  hold  water  ? 

3.  How  does  manure  hold  water  ? 

4.  What  are  early  and  late  soils  ?    In  each  case,  explain  why. 

5.  Can  you  explain  the  advantages  of  a  medium  soil  ? 

6.  How  can  water  be  drained  away  from  the  soil  ?    Under  what 
conditions  should  this  be  done  ? 

7.  What  is  capillarity  ?    How  does  it  act  in  a  soil  ? 

8.  How  can  loss  of  soil  water  into  the  air  be  prevented?    Why 
should  it  be  prevented  ? 

9.  How  can  we  improve  a  soil  that  is  too  late  ?    Too  early  ?    A 
clay  soil  ? 


CHAPTER  XIII 
PLANT  CHEMISTRY 

CHEMISTRY,  the  science  which  studies  what  everything  is 
made  of,  can  tell  us  a  good  deal  that  we  never  could  guess 
by  ourselves.  For  example,  the  air  that  we  breathe  is  not 
one  thing,  but  three  or  four,  and  is  made  chiefly  of  the  gases 
oxygen  and  nitrogen.  These  are  called  elements,  because 
they  cannot  be  farther  divided.  Other  elements  may  be  com- 
mon, such  as  iron,  silver,  gold,  lead;  but  not  all  common 
materials  are  elements.  Water  is  made  of  hydrogen  and 
oxygen ;  salt  is  made  of  sodium  and  chlorine ;  wood  is  made 
of  several  elements,  different  woods  being  different  in  their 
make-up.  These  are  all  compounds.  The  chemist,  by 
methods  which  we  do  not  need  to  study,  can  find  out  the  ele- 
ments of  which  any  compound  is  made. 

Plants,  he  tells  us,  are  made  chiefly  of  thirteen  elements, 
some  of  them  in  very  small  amounts.  They  are  combined 
in  various  ways.  Water  is  the  largest  part  of  any  growing 
plant,  and  even  when  these  plants  are  dried  water  is  often 
still  the  largest  part.  Grass,  when  it  is  dried  into  hay, 
loses  most  of  its  moisture ;  but  turnips,  cabbages,  and  other 
such  crops,  keep  their  moisture  for  a  long  time.  Shred  some 
cabbage,  or  slice  a  turnip  or  potato,  weigh  it,  and  set  it  over 
the  fire,  or  in  the  sun,  until  it  is  quite  brittle.  Then  weigh 
it  again,  and  see  how  much  water  it  has  lost.  If  you  want 
to  see  how  much  more  water  can  be  driven  off,  put  it  in  an 
oven  which  is  not  so  hot  as  to  scorch  the  plant,  and  then 
weigh  again. 

H  97 


98 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


The  matter  which  remains  from  a  plant  after  this  thorough 
drying  is  chiefly  some  compound  of  carbon.  Carbon  we 
know  best  as  charcoal ;  but  when  crystallized  it  is  the  dia- 
mond, or  the  lead  of  our  pencils ;  and  when  combined  with 
other  elements  it  takes  various  forms,  the  chief  of  which  in 
plants  is  starch.  Finally,  besides  water  and  carbon,  the 
most  important  chemicals  in  plants  are  phosphorus,  potash, 
and  nitrogen.  These,  at  least,  are  the  elements  which  it  is 

most  important  for  us  to  supply, 
since  they  are  the  elements  with- 
out which  plants  suffer. 

We  studied  in  the  last  chapter 
how  to  save  water  for  the  use  of 
our  plants.  Carbon  we  do  not 
need  to  trouble  about,  for  the  very 
good  reason  that  plants  get  most 
of  their  carbon  from  the  air.  The 
amount  of  carbon  in  any  given 
amount  of  air  is  so  small  that  I 
did  not  mention  it  just  now  when  telling  what  air  was  com- 
posed of.  In  ten  thousand  parts  of  air  there  are  but  one 
and  a  third  parts  of  carbon ;  yet  so  vast  is  the  amount  of  air 
over  the  earth,  and  so  rapidly  does  it  change  among  the  leaves 
of  the  plants,  that  it  supplies  most  of  the  carbon  for  all  the 
plants  that  grow  on  the  earth. 

The  other  three  elements  we  must  supply.  But  first  it 
may  be  asked  why  we  have  to  take  pains  to  supply  plants  with 
any  food.  Truly,  in  wildernesses  no  food  is  supplied  by  man. 
The  forests  grow,  and  maintain  themselves  for  centuries ; 
year  after  year  the  swamps  grow  rank  with  grasses.  But  this 
is  because  that  which  dies  lies  and  rots  on  the  ground,  return- 
ing to  it  the  food  which  once  it  took  up.  Even  when  man 
comes  into  the  forest  and  takes  away  logs,  he  leaves  more  than 


FIG.  55.  --  The  chemical 
make-up  of  a  potato.  1  repre- 
sents water;  2,  starch;  3,  nitro- 
gen; 4,  all  other  elements. 


PLANT  CHEMISTEY  99 

half  of  every  tree  to  supply  food  for  new  ones,  for  the  roots 
rot  in  the  ground,  and  the  branches  rot  on  the  surface,  while 
only  the  trunk  is  carried  away.  But  when  the  farmer  carries 
away  from  his  fields  the  stalks  and  the  ears  of  corn,  digs  up 
his  potatoes  and  hauls  away  their  tops,  and  takes  both 
the  seed  and  the  straw  of  his  grain,  then  he  is  taking  away, 
so  most  chemists  agree,  more  than  the  soil  is  able  to  replace. 
If  this  goes  on  year  after  year,  the  fields  are  starved,  the  plants 
spindle,  and  the  farm  is  finally  abandoned  by  the  discouraged 
owner. 

If  a  man  wishes,  therefore,  to  keep  his  farm  or  his  garden 
in  condition  to  yield  well,  he  must  return  to  the  soil  as  much  as 
he  takes  away.  In  this  way  the  garden  becomes  a  factory. 
Into  it  he  puts  cheap  chemicals,  the  "raw  materials"  of  his 
crops.  The  garden  turns  these  into  expensive  chemicals,  the 
crops  themselves.  These  he  sells  or  uses,  and  thus  he  makes 
his  profit. 

The  chemicals  which  he  applies  to  the  soil  may  first  be 
other  crops,  grown  at  a  convenient  time,  and  plowed  under 
in  order  to  rot.  Clover,  vetch,  rape,  and  rye,  are  often  used 
in  this  way.  The  chemicals  may  be,  occasionally,  parts  of 
the  crop  that  used  to  be  carried  off.  Thus  on  large  wheat 
farms  the  farmer  may  harvest  only  the  seed,  leaving  the  straw 
to  be  plowed  down.  Manure  contains  chemicals  which  are 
valuable  for  plants.  But  in  most  cases  the  chemicals  which 
the  farmer  supplies  are  minerals.  They  are  bought  by  the 
ton  or  by  the  bag,  look  often  like  dirty  table-salt,  are  scat- 
tered on  the  surface,  and  are  plowed  or  harrowed  into  the 
ground. 

It  is  odd  to  think  that  we  can  feed  plants  in  this  way,  and 
that  ground  rock  can  beautify  our  gardens.  The  fact  is, 
however,  that  we  may  use  not  only  this  but  other  things,  for 
fertilizers.  Material  which  otherwise  would  be  thrown  away 


100  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

is  put  to  this  excellent  use.     Scraps  of  leather,  hoofs,  horns, 
and  hair,  bones,  fish,  dried  blood,  and  other  waste  products 


FIG.  56.  —  Golden-banded  lily,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  flowers.     How 
does  it  depend  upon  chemicals  ? 

of  the  factories,  are  used  in  this  way.  The  Indians  used  fish 
as  fertilizers,  and  taught  the  use  to  the  colonists.  And  we 
can  use  these  things  as  plant  food  because  the  plants  have 
a  method  of  absorbing  them. 

This  is  done  by  means  of  the  root-hairs,  whose  walls  give 
out  an  acid.     Vinegar  is  an  acid,  but  a  weak  one ;  there  are 


PLANT  CHEMISTRY  J  101 

others  strong  enough  to  eat  metals,  tmt  tire  'plant  'rooi  acid 
is  very  weak.  It  is  strong  enough,  however,  to  dissolve  the 
food  that  it  needs,  in  order  to  make  the  solution  which,  by 
osmosis,  will  pass  through  the  walls.  And  if  we  grind  our 
fertilizers  very  fine,  so  that  the  root-hairs  can  easily  get  at  it, 
then  the  plants  flourish  the  better. 

The  kinds  of  fertilizers  which  can  be  bought  are  so  many 
as  to  puzzle  any  one  who  is  not  an  expert.  It  is  true  that  if 
one  is  to  grow  large  crops  of  single  kinds,  such  as  potatoes 
or  corn,  one  should  buy  special  fertilizers.  For  corn  naturally 
needs  one  kind  of  food,  while  potatoes  need  another.  But 
for  the  gardener,  who  has  at  most  but  a  few  rows  of  each,  it 
is  impossible  to  have  a  fertilizer  fpr  every  crop.  I  will 
tell  you,  then,  the  simplest  method  of  buying  and  using  fer- 
tilizers. 

In  the  first  place,  buy  of  a  man  whose  word  can  be  trusted, 
and  buy  of  him  only  "high  grade"  fertilizers.  "  Low  grade," 
though  cheaper,  are  too  cheap  to  be  worth  getting.  Next, 
buy  but  two  kinds,  since  our  garden  crops  can  be  divided 
into  two  groups  of  plants. 

In  the  first  group  stand  all  those  which  are  grown  for  their 
leaves  and  stalks :  spinach,  chard,  cabbage,  onions,  cauli- 
flower (which  we  never  allow  to  go  to  seed),  beets  for  greens 
or  for  very  young  beets,  asparagus,  lettuce,  celery,  parsley. 

In  the  second  class  are  the  plants  grown  for  their  roots  or 
fruit  or  seed :  peas,  beans,  the  squashes  (with  cucumber, 
melons,  marrows),  tomatoes,  turnips,  carrots,  winter  beets, 
parsnips,  radishes,  corn,  potatoes,  flowering  plants. 

The  differences  between  the  two  are  these.  In  the  first  class 
are  all  the  plants  which  are  to  grow  rapidly  and  luxuriantly. 
We  want  such  plants  to  be  slow  in  making  flowers  and  seed, 
or  in  storing  food  in  the  roots.  In  the  second  group  are  all  the 
plants  which  we  wish  to  be  quick  in  flowering,  in  making 


102  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

seed,  and  in  growing  large  roots.  We  try  to  feed  these  two 
kinds  of  plants  according  to  their  different  purposes. 

For  the  first  group  we  ask  the  dealer  for  his  best  "  top- 
dressing."  This  is  meant  specially  for  grass  and  the  lawn, 
but  it  also  encourages  top  growth  in  other  plants. 

For  the  second  group  we  ask  the  dealer  for  his  best  potato- 
fertilizer.  This  encourages  the  potato  to  lay  up  starch  in 
tubers,  but  it  will  also  encourage  other  kinds  of  plants  to  make 
flowers,  fruit,  and  seed. 

The  chemist  will  tell  you  that  the  difference  between  these 
two  is  that  the  first  fertilizer  contains,  as  compared  with 
phosphorus  and  potash,  much  nitrogen,  while  the  second 
contains  little  of  it.  And  with  these  two  fertilizers  we 
are  ready  to  feed  anything  that  grows  on  the  ordinary 
home  place. 

You  see  what  nitrogen  does  to  plants  :  it  encourages  them 
to  make  leaves  and  stalks.  Therefore  if  you  wish  a  plant  of 
any  kind,  which  is  not  doing  well,  to  grow  rapidly,  give  it  a 
little  nitrogen.  Apart  from  our  top-dressing,  this  can  be 
conveniently  applied  in  two  forms.  The  first  is  nitrate  of 
soda,  a  salt.  The  second  is  water  in  which  fresh  manure, 
which  is  ricb*in  nitrogen,  has  been  soaked. 

We  can  easily  test  the  value  of  nitrogen  in  encouraging,  or 
stimulating,  plant  growth.  Take  three  pots  of  sandy  earth. 
In  a  quart  of  rain  water  (or  melted  snow)  dissolve  a  half  tea- 
spoonful  of  nitrate  of  soda.  In  another  soak  a  little  fresh 
manure  (horse,  cow,  or  both)  and  strain  out  the  water  as  soon 
as  it  has  the  color  of  weak  tea.  In  one  pot  pour  an  ounce  of 
the  nitrate  water,  in  the  second  pour  an  ounce  of  the  manure 
water,  measuring  by  means  of  the  graduate  or  an  ounce  bottle 
bought  at  the  druggist's.  Or  use  two  and  a  half  tablespoon- 
fuls.  Pour  the  water  carefully  all  over  the  surface,  and  wash 
it  in  with  an  equal  amount  of  rain  water.  Mix  the  soil  well. 


PLANT  CHEMISTRY  103 

To  the  third  pot  add  nothing.  Label  each  of  the  pots,  and 
in  each  set  a  couple  of  young  plants  or  sprouted  seed  of  corn, 
wheat,  or  whatever  is  at  hand.  Water  the  pots,  whenever 
necessary,  with  the  rain  or  snow  water,  lukewarm.  You  will 
presently  see  a  difference  in  the  three  plants.  Describe  this 
in  the  note-book,  and  explain  it. 

There  is  another  thing  which  chemistry  has  taught  us  to  do 
to  the  soil.  Plants  sometimes  suffer  when  there  is  too  much 
acid  in  the  soil.  If  plants  do  not  grow  well  in  our  garden 
earth,  we,  can  test  it  for  acid  by  means  of  a  strip  of  litmus 
paper  bought  at  the  druggist's.  It  is  blue,  but  when  buried 
in  a  tumbler  of  muddy  acid  soil,  it  will  turn  red.  This  test 
should  be  made  with  care,  and  the  paper  should  not  be 
handled  with  damp  fingers,  for  they  themselves  are  likely 
to  be  acid.  If  upon  testing  a  soil  we  find  it  acid,  we  can 
improve  it  by  adding  lime.  This  we  can  do  to  a  handful  of 
soil  in  the  schoolroom  by  means  of  a  little  limewater;  but 
in  the  garden,  lime  is  scattered  and  raked  in.  Thus  for  the 
second  time  we  find  that  lime  is  good  for  soils.  But  it  is 
not  a  plant  food  ;  it  is  rather  a  soil  improver. 

There  is  no  need,  at  present,  to  go  deeper  than  this  into  the 
chemistry  of  soils.  But  the  little  that  we  have"  learned  will 
be  very  valuable  in  our  work. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  are  chemical  elements ?     Compounds?     Name  a  few. 

2.  What  makes  up  the  largest  part  of  any  growing  plant  ? 

3.  What  compound  makes  up  the  next  largest  part  ?    Where  does 
it  come  from  ? 

4.  What  elements  do  we  need  to  supply  to  a  plant  ?    Why  ? 

5.  Can  you  find  a  good  reason  why  cheap  fertilizers  are  expensive  ? 

6.  What  is  the  special  value  of  nitrogen  ?    How  can  it  conven- 
iently be  supplied  ? 

7.  How  can  we  tell  if  a  soil  is  sour  ?    How  can  we  sweeten  it.  ? 


CHAPTER  XIV 

t 

HUMUS 

IN  the  last  chapter  we  studied  how  nature  takes  care  that 
the  soil  shall  remain  fertile,  if  only  man  will  not  interfere. 
She  restores  chemicals  to  the  ground  by  means  of  the  rot- 
ting of  the  fallen  plants.  But  at  the  same  time  she  is 
keeping  up  the  supply  of  what  we  have  already  mentioned 
as  humus,  which  is  decaying  animal  or  vegetable  matter. 
Every  animal,  insect,  or  plant,  that  falls  and  lies  in  the  field, 
adds  humus  to  the  soil. 

Humus  is  important  for  several  reasons.     We  know  already 
that  it  enables  the  soil  to  hold  moisture,  and  that  it  improves 
clay  soils  by  making  them  lighter  and 
warmer.     We  can  easily  see  that  it 
contains  chemicals  on  which  plants 
FIG.  57.  — The       finest    can  grow.     But  beyond   this  it  im- 
needlepoint,        magnified,     proves  the  soil  by  bringing  about  two 

with  a  speck  of  dust  above      ,  .      ,        ,.     ,  . ,  . ,         „ 

and    bacteria    in    front,    kinds  of  changes  in  the  soil.     One  is 
These  tiny  bacteria  are  our    a  chemical  action,  by  which  a  carbon 

helpers  in  all  humous  soils.  ,  ,        ,          , .       .  ,    . , 

compound  (carbon  dioxid,  the  one  that 

supplies  carbon  from  the  air)  is  set  free  to  act  in  its  turn  on 
the  chemicals  in  the  soil.  The  other  is  a  bacterial  action,  by 
which  bacteria  (those  tiniest  of  living  things,  of  which  there 
are  at  least  thirty  million  in  every  ounce  of  soil)  are  en- 
couraged to  live  on  the  decaying  humus.  These  bacteria 
take  the  nitrogen  in  the  soil,  and  make  it  ready  for  plant  use. 
Thus  for  good  gardening  humus  is  needed.  It  is  true  that 

104 


HUMUS 


105 


we  can  take  rain  water,  which  we  know  has  no  plant  food  in 
it,  and  by  adding  chemicals  alone  we  can  grow  in  this  water 
plants  that  will  live  for  years.  Small  trees  have  been  grown 
in  this  way,  but  of  course  it  is  very  little  worth  while,  except 
to  show  what  can  be  done.  We  must  grow  our  plants  in  the 
earth,  and  humus  is  necessary  for  us. 

But  when  we  take  our  crops  from  our  gardens  we  are  using 
up  the  humus,  and  giving 
nothing  in  return.  If  we 
wish  to  keep  the  soil  in 
good  condition,  we  must 
therefore  find  some  means 
to  restore  humus  to  it. 
The  ordinary  gardener 
uses  three  methods. 

The  first  is  to  grow,  in 
each  part  of  the  garden 
that  is  unoccupied  by  a 
crop,  plants  that  can  be 
dug  into  the  soil,  and 
rotting  there,  make  hu- 
mus. This  is  called  green 
manuring.  The  best 
plants  to  use  for  this  pur- 
pose are  the  clovers  and 

their  family,  called  the  legumes.  These  plants  give  most 
nitrogen  to  the  soil,  and  in  a  very  peculiar  manner.  Long 
ago  the  Romans  knew  that  legumes  did  good  to  the  soil, 
but  they  did  not  know  why.  Not  many  years  ago  some 
one  discovered  that  legumes  have  on  their  roots  little 
knots,  or  knobs.  These  were  at  first  considered  to  be  signs 
of  disease  ;  but  they  were  presently  discovered  to  be  colonies 
of  the  bacteria  which  best  make  soil  nitrogen.  They  use 


FIG.  58.  —  Nitrogen  factories.     Bacterial 
colonies  on  roots  of  bean. 


106  THE  BEGINNERS  GARDEN  BOOK 

the  plant  to  get  nitrogen,  not  from  the  soil,  but  from  the  air, 
so  that  legumes  leave  nitrogen  in  soils  where  previously  there 
was  none.  The  legumes,  then  (the  clovers,  the  vetches, 
alfalfa,  peas,  beans),  are  the  best  plants  for  green  manuring. 
But  most  other  plants  will  do. 

The  second  method  of  returning  humus  to  the  soil  is  to 
dig  into  it  the  useless  parts  of  all  plants  that  grow  in  it.  The 
roots  usually  remain,  but  the  tops  of  potatoes,  corn,  peas, 
and  beans,  the  unused  leaves  of  cabbage,  and  such  things, 
are  commonly  carried  away,  and  are  often  given  to  the  pigs 
or  chickens.  Of  course  to  dig  such  things  into  the  soil 
means  that  they  may,  before  they  rot,  be  very  much  in 
the  way  of  cultivation.  Therefore  it  is  better  still  to  heap 
them  together  for  a  year  or  more  before  they  are  brought 
back  to  the  garden.  They  then  all  rot  together,  and  finally 
turn  into  compost,  a  rich  dark  loam.  This  is  the  best  of 
plant  food. 

The  third  method  of  supplying  the  soil  with  humus  is  to 
use  manure.  Manure  is,  of  course,  only  the  food-stuff  for 
the  horses  and  cows  after  it  has  been  used  to  produce  labor 
or  milk.  Sheep  and  pig  manure  in  the  same  way  have  come 
from  the  soil,  and  can  be  returned  to  it.  But  like  cornstalks 
and  other  such  things,  manure  is  best  after  it  has  rotted  for  a 
while,  as  it  is  then  ready  for  the  use  of  the  plants  as  soon  as 
it  is  dug  into  the  soil.  Manure  ought,  therefore,  to  be  heaped 
together  for  some  months,  until  it  is  rotted. 

But  this  heaping  together  of  manure  is  not  so  simple  a 
matter  as  the  piling  of  the  stalks  and  leaves  that  are  taken 
from  the  garden.  Even  cornstalks  are  liable  to  "heat"  and 
to  "burn,"  and  therefore  to  spoil;  but  this  seldom  happens. 
Manure,  however  (I  am  speaking  of  the  most  common  kind, 
horse  manure) ,  is  certain  to  develop  great  heat,  so  that  if  left 
alone  it  will  actually  become  light  and  feathery,  almost  like 


HUMUS 


107 


ashes,  and  of  very  little  value.  In  order  to  prevent  this  the 
heap  must  be  tramped  when  first  it  is  made,  and  every  little 
while  it  must  be  turned  over  and  moistened.  The  heat  that 
then  develops  does  no  harm,  the  manure  rots  the  quicker, 
and  the  heap  packs  down  into  the  " well-rotted  manure" 
which  is  the  desire  of  every  gardener.  To  make  it  is  not 
easy.  The  owner  must  not  let  the  rain  get  at  the  manure, 


FIG.  59.  —  WASTE  IN  MANURE. 
Rain  washes  out  most  of  the  nitrogen.     Keep  the  manure  under  cover. 

for  rain  will  wash  out  the  chemicals.  He  must  himself  not 
wet  it  too  much,  for  the  same  reason.  He  must  remember 
to  turn  it  whenever  it  begins  to  heat.  But  in  the  end  it  is 
ready  to  go  back  to  the  land,  returning  tfiere  what  it  took 
away. 

The  various  manures  have  different  values.  Hog,  sheep, 
and  hen  manure  are  rich  in  nitrogen,  but  have  not  much 
humus.  For  that  reason  horse  and  cow  manure  are  better. 
Perhaps  the  best  general  manure  to  use  is  a  mixture  of 
these  two.  The  bedding  should  have  been  straw,  and 


108  THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 

never  sawdust,  which  will  turn  sour.  The  two  manures 
should  be  well  rotted  and  thoroughly  mixed. 

One  thing  ought  to  be  remembered  in  making  good  manure. 
If  possible,  it  should  be  screened  where  it  is  stored,  to  prevent 
the  breeding  of  flies,  which  breed  more  in  manure  than  any- 
where else,  and  which  carry  disease. 

When  by  one  of  these  means,  or  all  of  them,  one  has  got  a 
soil  rich  in  humus,  one  may  know  it  by  its  look.  Such  soil 
is  dark  brown,  rather  full  of  little  separate  fibers,  crumbly, 
and  even  rich  to  the  touch.  It  has  not  the  smoothness  of  the 
clayey  soil,  nor  the  grit  of  the  sandy  one.  It  can  be  pressed 
into  a  ball  when  moist,  but  readily  separates  again.  The 
gardener  ought  to  know  the  look  and  feel  of  good  garden  soil, 
and  work  to  get  it. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Explain  the  value  of  humus. 

2.  What  is  green  manuring  ?    What  plants  are  best  for  it,  and 
why? 

3.  What  is  compost  ?    Explain  its  value  and  use. 

4.  What  is  manure?     In  what  condition  is  it  best  for  the  gar- 
dener's use?    How  may  such  manure   be  supplied?    Why  is  it 
made  so  carefully  ? 


,      CHAPTER  XV 
THE  KINDS  OF  PLANTS 

WE  have  now  got  so  far  with  the  study  of  plants  that  we 
understand  how  they  grow,  and  what  they  need  to  grow 
upon.  Winter  is  passing,  and  it  is  time  to  order  our  seeds. 
For  seeds  should  be  ordered  early,  if  we  do  not  wish  to  take  the 
risk  of  delay  by  ordering  later,  at  the  "rush"  season.  We 
need  to  test  the  seed,  and  to  be  ready,  also,  to  start  indoors 
certain  plants  which  are  worth  such  care.  And  now,  in  order 
to  understand  just  how  to  plan  the  work  of  the  whole  summer, 
we  need  to  take  a  general  look  ahead. 

We  know  that,  besides  plant  food,  the  two  greatest  needs 
of  plants  are  warmth  and  moisture.  The  house-plants 
which  our  mothers  and  our  teachers  grow  for  their  pleasure 
depend  on  these.  A  large  part  of  the  work  of  tending  house- 
plants  lies  in  giving  just  enough  water,  and  in  seeing  that  the 
plants  have  about  the  right  temperature.  The  greenhouse- 
man,  with  plants  that  are  well  started,  merely  does  the  same. 
But  the  man  with  two  greenhouses  is  likely  to  keep  them  at 
different  temperatures,  in  order  to  suit  the  plants  which  like 
a  cooler  or  a  warmer  air.  Violets  and  lettuce  prefer  a  cool 
house,  geraniums  and  cucumbers  a  hot  one.  And  the  reason 
for  this  has  much  to  do  with  the  whole  management  of  a 
garden. 

In  winter  the  ground  is  frozen.  Try  to  thrust  into  it  the 
point  of  your  umbrella  :  you  cannot  do  it.  For  two  or  three, 
and  in  places  for  four  or  five,  feet,  according  to  the  severity  of 

109 


110 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  ROOK 


the  climate,  the  frost  has  made  the  ground  solid.  But  in  the 
spring  the  ground  thaws ;  as  gardeners  say,  the  frost  comes 
out.  At  first  the  soil  is  very  wet  and  cold ;  but  presently  it 
dries  and  warms  enough  for  the  planting  of  seed. 

Now  follows  a  period  which  we  need  to  understand  clearly. 
It  is  spring ;  and  for  the  gardener  the  great  difference  between 

spring  and  sum- 
mer is  that  frosts 
may  come  at 
night.  They  are 
to  be  expected, 
and  since  a  heavy 
enough  frost  will 
kill  certain  plants, 
such  plants  should 
not  be  sowed  until 
the  danger  of 
frosts  is  past. 
These  plants  are 
called  tender. 

But  there  are  other  plants  which  will  stand  frosts,  even  when 
they  are  young.  These  are  called  hardy.  There  is  naturally 
another  class,  a  small  one,  called  half-hardy,  which  will  stand 
light  frosts ;  but  on  the  whole  all  garden  plants  are  divided 
into  the  two  classes  of  hardy  and  tender  plants.  The  hardy 
plants  may  be  planted  in  spring.  The  tender  plants  cannot 
safely  be  planted  until  summer. 

Since  I  am  discussing  plants  in  groups,  let  me  speak  of  two 
more  ways  of  classifying  them.  One  depends  upon  the  length 
of  a  plant's  life.  Some  plants  sprout,  grow,  make  seed,  and 
die,  all  in  the  same  year.  Such  are  asters  and  tomatoes. 
They  are  annual  plants.  Others  will  make  seed  for  several 
years  in  succession  before  they  die.  Peonies  and  asparagus 


FIG.  60.  —  Muskmelon,  a  tender  annual  vegetable. 
Frost  easily  kills  this  plant. 


THE  KINDS   OF  PLANTS 


111 


are  in  this  class.  They  are  called  perennial  plants.  Some 
few  plants  live  but  two  years,  and  are  called  biennial  plants. 
Perennial  plants  from  the  tropical  regions,  as  they  will  be 
killed  by  frost  in  the  north,  must  here  be  grown  as  annuals, 
if  they  are  to  be  grown  at  all. 

The  other  classification  depends  upon  the  stems  of  the 
perennial  plants.  If  they 
are  soft  and  juicy,  so  that 
they  are  killed  by  the  win- 
ter cold,  and  die  to  the 
ground,  even  though  the 
roots  live  on,  then  the 
plants  are  called  her- 
baceous. Such  are  the 
larkspur  and  rhubarb.  If 
the  stems  are  hard,  and 
live  through  the  winter, 
they  are  called  woody. 
Such  are  all  shrubs  and 
trees. 

These  classes  of  plants 
are  easily  understood,  though  their  names  may  be  hard  to 
memorize  at  first.  But  every  new  subject  has  its  special 
words  which  must  be  learned.  And  if  we  are  to  understand 
about  a  plant,  we  need  to  know  whether  it  is  hardy  or  tender, 
annual  or  perennial,  herbaceous  or  woody. 

As  now  we  face  the  beginning  of  the  garden  season,  we  see 
first  a  period  in  which  it  will  pay  to  start  plants  in  the  house, 
during  which  they  will  grow  to  such  a  size  that  they  can 
finally  be  set  outdoors,  and  will  then  yield  quickly. 

During  this  period  we  are  likely  to  start  the  hardy  plants 
first,  because  they  can  first  be  set  outdoors.  We  start  the 
tender  plants  later,  because  they  must  later  be  set  outdoors. 


FIG.  61.  —  Lettuce,  a  hardy  annual  vege- 
table, will  withstand  frost. 


112  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

We  can  vary  this  if  we  please;  the  greenhouseman,  with 
his  sunlight  and  special  heat,  may  do  with  plants  almost 
whatever  he  wishes.  But  generally  it  is  troublesome  to 
grow  large  plants  in  the  house,  so  that  we  seldom  wish  to 

keep  them  in  the 
house  more  than  a 
month  or  six  weeks 
after  sowing. 

The  next  period 
is  one  during 
which  we  can  start 
plants  out  of  doors, 
but  under  glass 
protectors  called 
frames.  These 
protect  the  plants 
from  the  *  killing 
frosts. 

Then  comes  the 
time  when  it  is 
safe  to  sow  hardy 
plants  out  of  doors. 
They  will  prob- 
ably do  well. 

FIG.  62.  —  Sweet  pea,  a  hardy  annual.  T^,.       ,, 

Finally     comes 

summer,  when  tender  plants  may  be  sown  without  risk.  Of 
course  a  freakish  season  may  give  a  summer  frost,  but  this  is 
very  rare. 

It  is  hard  to  set  dates  for  these  periods.  The  farther 
south,  or  the  nearer  the  ocean,  the  earlier  they  come.  One 
year  may  vary  from  another  by  a  week  or  more.  Generally 
speaking,  at  the  latitude  of  New  York  City  the  third  week 
in  April  may  see  the  beginning  of  outdoor  planting,  the  last 


THE  KINDS   OF  PLANTS 


113 


FIG.  63.  —  Japanese  anemone,  a  hardy  perennial. 

week  in  May  the  sowing  of  tender  plants.  South  of  this 
the  seasons  come  about  a  week  earlier  for  every  hundred 
miles ;  north  of  New  York  a  hundred  miles  will  mean  about 
a  week  later. 

When  now  we  come  to  inquire  which  plants  are  worth 
the  bother  of  planting  in  the  house,  and  nursing  for  a  month 


114  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

or  six  weeks  before  we  set  them  out,  we  shall  find  that  only 
certain  ones  will  pay  us.  Peas  and  beans,  carrots  and  tur- 
nips, and  most  vegetables  which  are  planted  closely  in  rows, 
are  plainly  too  much  trouble.  But  lettuce  and  tomatoes, 
and  many  if  not  most  of  the  flowers,  will  repay  our  starting 
them  in  this  way.  Some,  however,  are  harder  to  grow  than 
others,  and  especially  for  beginners.  I  should  advise  the 
following : 

Flowers.  Hardy.  Calendula,1  candytuft,  coreopsis,  for- 
get-me-not, marigold,1  pink,  Drummond  phlox,  stock, 
verbena,  zinnia. 

Half-hardy.     Aster,  salvia,  snapdragon. 

Tender.     Balsam,  cosmos,  godetia,  petunia. 

Vegetables.  Hardy.  Lettuce,  cabbage,  cauliflower,  celery, 
onion,  parsley. 

Tender.     The  squash  family,  eggplant,  pepper,  tomato. 

These  two  short  lists  will  give  any  one  plenty  of  work 
to  do  in  raising  plants  for  early  yields  of  flowers  or 
vegetables. 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  is  it  wise  to  order  seeds  early? 

2.  What  is  meant  by  the  " thawing"  of  the  ground  in  spring? 

3.  What  for  the  gardener  is  the  great  difference  between  spring 
and  summer  ? 

4.  What  are  the  three  classifications  of  plants?    According  to 
what  are  these  classifications  made  ?    What  classes  did  we  test  in 
an  experiment  with  sprouting  seeds  ? 

5.  Why  do  we  start  plants  in  the  house?    Out  of  doors  under 
glass  ? 

1  These  flowers  should  be  transplanted  into  pots. 


THE  KINDS   OF  PLANTS  115 

GENERAL  REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  a  cotyledon?    A  plumule?    Acaulicle? 

2.  Describe  a  seed-tester. 

3.  Why  is  the  best  the  cheapest  in  seeds  ?    In  fertilizers  ? 

4.  Explain  how  a  plant  gets  food  from  the  ground. 

5.  What  does  a  leaf  do  with  the  food  that  comes  from  the  roots  ? 

6.  Describe  various  ways  of  growing  plants. 

7.  What  is  the  earliest  loam  ?    If  soil  holds  water  poorly,  how  can 
it  be  improved  ?    How  can  a  soil  be  kept  from  puddling  ?    How 
sweetened  if  it  is  sour? 

8.  Tell  how  to  prevent  soil  from  drying  out  on  top. 

9.  What  chemical  elements  do  we  supply  in  fertilizers  ?     What 
special  one  do  the  legumes  put  in  the  ground  ?    Which  one  do  plants 
take  from  the  air  ? 

10.  What  is  humus,  and  by  what  means  do  you  intend  to  increase 
it  in  your  soil  ? 

11.  What  are  hardy  plants  ?    Tender  plants  ? 

12.  What  is  a  herbaceous  perennial  ? 

13.  How  can  you  lengthen  your  garden  season  ? 


SECTION   III 
GARDENING  UNDER  GLASS 

CHAPTER  XVI 
THE  FLATS 

WE  have  now  come  to  the  time,  from  February  to  early 
April  according  to  our  latitude  (at  any  rate,  five  or  six  weeks 
before  we  can  safely  plant  hardy  seeds  out  of  doors),  when 
we  should  begin  raising  plants  for  the  garden  plot,  in  order 
to  prolong  the  season.  By  providing,  indoors,  with  as  much 
sunlight  as  possible,  an  artificial  climate  in  which  the  plants 
can  make  a  good  start,  we  shall  get  our  results  long  before 
the  gardener  who  does  not  begin  until  the  frost  is  out  of  the 
ground. 

For  our  work  we  must  provide,  as  nearly  as  we  can  in  an 
ordinary  house,  the  conveniences  which  the  florist  has  in 
his  greenhouse.  Of  course  our  space  is  less  than  his,  for  we 
shall  have  but  a  few  window  sills  on  which  to  expose  our 
plants  to  the  sun.  But  we  can  make  the  space  as  large  as 
possible  by  putting  tables  close  to  the  glass,  or  by  building 
shelves  to  widen  the  sills.  If  these  tables  or  shelves  stand 
over  radiators,  so  much  the  better.  On  them  we  are  to 
place  miniature  garden  plots,  in  the  shape  of  boxes  of  earth. 
But  the  boxes  and  the  earth  must  be  carefully  chosen. 

Boxes  are  better  than  pots,  because  they  grow  more  plants, 
cover  more  space,  and  dry  out  more  slowly.  They  cost 
less,  since  any  boy  or  girl  can  make  them  out  of  material 

116 


THE  FLATS 


117 


which  can  usually  be  had  for  the  asking.  Cigar  boxes  will 
do ;  the  flat  ones  are  about  the  right  depth,  and  only  need 
a  few  more  tiny  nails,  so  that  when  they  are  wet  they  will 
not  warp  apart.  But  they  are  small.  I  have  had  better 
success  with  a  five-pound  butter  box,  cut  down  to  a  depth 
of  about  two  inches,  measured  inside.  A  starch  box,  larger 
still,  can  be  cut  into  two  boxes  (or,  as  we  had  better  call 
them,  flats).  And  if  we  are  strong  enough  to  handle  the 
weight,  the  very  best  is  a 
soap  box,  because  of  the 
number  of  plants  that  it 
will  hold.  By  using  a  saw 
(best  a  rip-saw)  it  can  be 
cut  into  two  or  sometimes 
three  flats  of  considerable 
size.  Two  to  three  inches 
in  depth  is  all  one  needs. 

In  making  the  flats  we 
must  provide  drainage, 
since  we  have  learned  that 
water  must  not  stand 
around  the  roots  of  plants. 
In  order  to  allow  any  extra  water  to  escape,  the  boards 
that  make  the  bottom  of  the  box  need  not  fit  closely ;  or, 
if  they  do,  holes  should  be  bored  in  the  bottom  in  several 
places.  One  way  of  making  a  well-drained  soap-box  flat  is 
to  have  the  bottom  made  only  of  well-nailed  slats,  with  open- 
ings an  inch  apart.  But  if  this  is  the  kind  of  flat  we  use, 
over  the  slats  we  must  put  moss  or  excelsior,  closely  packed, 
in  order  that  the  fine  soil  shall  not  wash  out.  Over  the 
holes  in  the  other  large  flats  should  be  put  pieces  of  broken 
flower  pots  (arched  over  them,  if  curved),  and  around 
them  should  be  packed  gravel  or  bits  of  coal.  In  small 


FIG.  64.  —  A  "flat"  for  indoor  garden- 
ing. Drainage  in  small  flats  is  through 
cracks  and  loose  joints. 


118  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

flats,  however,  we  need  use  only  coarse  material  of  some 
kind  or  other,  that  will  let  water  quickly  through. 

All  this  should  be  done  neatly.  The  nails  or  brads  that 
are  hammered  in  should  go  straight,  the  sawing  off  of  the 
tops  of  boxes  should  follow  carefully  the  pencil  lines  that 
are  drawn  from  corner  to  corner,  the  rough  edges  should 
be  smoothed  off  with  knife  or  plane  or  sandpaper.  To  be 
sure,  when  we  have  made  enough  flats  to  cover  our  window 
sill  or  table,  we  may  have  a  mixed  lot  of  boxes  of  different 
sizes  and  colors,  some  showing  the  advertising  lettering  of 
soap  or  starch;  but  we  need  not  let  this  trouble  us.  It 
would,  of  course,  be  pleasant  to  make  all  our  flats  alike,  of 
fresh  wood ;  but  as  we  shall  learn  before  many  weeks,  it  is 
not  the  prettiest  boxes  that  surely  grow  the  best  plants.  If 
we  wish  to  be  very  neat,  we  can  paint  the  flats. 

So  much  for  our  flats  and  the  drainage  of  them.  Be  care- 
ful about  the  latter,  for  lack  of  draining  may  spoil  a  good 
stand  of  seedlings.  Now  for  the  earth  that  we  should  use. 
If  we  have  been  careful  to  provide  for  it  months  ago,  we 
shall  not  have  to  go  out  in  the  dead  of  winter  and  hack  at 
the  frozen  garden.  Besides,  we  shall  have  better  earth,  for 
we  shall  be  able  to  make  it-  to  suit  us  exactly.  Just  what 
sort  of  earth  do  we  need  ? 

In  potting  plants  and  bulbs  we  made  the  earth  rich  and 
full  of  humus.  We  had  it  fine  as  well,  in  order  to  hold  much 
moisture.  Such  coarse  things  as  vegetables  may  have  a 
similar  soil.  But  for  the  sprouting  of  flower  seeds  we  may 
well  have  the  earth  different :  not  too  rich,  or  the  plants 
will  grow  too  tall  and  thin ;  not  too  full  of  humus,  for  much 
the  same  reason ;  and  not  too  fine,  for  a  moist  soil  is  cold 
and  "slow."  Let  us  mix  a  soil  which  shall  be  proper  for 
the  tiny  seeds  of  most  flowers.  It  should  be  light,  porous, 
and  warm  or  "quick."  For  this  mix  together  two  parts  of 


THE  FLATS 


119 


loam  from  the  garden,  one  part  of  leaf  mold  from  the  woods, 
and  to  every  bushel  a  quart  of  sand.  If  the  loam  was  light, 
omit  the  sand.  This  will  give  us  a  light,  not  dark-colored 
earth,  which  will  not  hold  too  much  water,  and  which  will 
warm  quickly  under  the  sun.  The  finer  vegetable  seeds 
will  do  well  in  this,  also ;  but  lettuce  and  all  seeds  of  the 
squash  family  (cucumber,  melon,  marrows)  will  be  glad  of 
an  extra  part  of  fine  manure.  And  now,  when  we  find  that 
our  newly  mixed  soil 
is,  when  damp, 
neither  soggy  nor 
sticky,  but  that  it 
can  be  quickly 
rubbed  apart  by  the 
finger,  we  have  the 
sort  of  earth  that  we 
need. 

If  in  mixing  the 
soil  we  find  that  the 
whole,  when  mixed, 
or  any  part  before 
mixing,  is  lumpy  or 
coarse,  we  should  put 
it  through  a  sieve,  using  only  that  which  can  be  easily  rubbed 
through  with  the  finger.  For  damp  soil  the  sieve  may  be 
fairly  coarse,  from  an  eighth  to  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  mesh. 
Use  an  ash  sieve  or  a  fry-basket.  Or  make  your  sieve,  as 
shown  in  the  illustration.  A  flour  sieve  is  much  too  fine. 
Do  not  throw  away  the  siftings ;  they  may  be  used  for 
the  drainage  of  our  flats. 

The  filling  and  watering  of  the  flats  is  the  next  step. 
Take  the  flats,  already  provided  with  their  drainage  material, 
and  with  spoon  or  trowel  fill  them  with  earth,  smoothing  it 


FIG.  65.  —  Sieves,  for  sifting  earth,  made  of 
screening  tacked  over  boxes. 


120  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

but  not  pressing  it,  until  it  is  within  half  an  inch  of  the  top. 
Most  of  our  seed  will  be  small ;  and  for  them,  before  the 
seeds  are  in,  it  should  be  watered.  If  you  are  impatient, 
water  it  from  the  top.  Pour  the  water  right  on  from  a  fine 
watering  pot,  held  as  close  as  possible,  if  you  must.  Better, 
put  a  piece  of  sacking  over  the  earth,  fitting,  it  closely  into 
the  corners,  and  then  water.  The  earth  will  then  not  pack 
down  too  finely.  Best  of  all,  stand  the  flat  in  a  pan  or  sink, 
with  the  water  well  above  the  bottom.  It  will  seep  into  the 
flat  and  climb  to  the  top  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour.  The 
earth  is  then  thoroughly  wet,  without  being  packed  at  all, 
except  by  its  own  weight. 

Now  see  if  the  level  of  the  earth  is  right.  In  any  case 
it  has  packed  a  little.  Put  a  little  more  into  the  flat,  level- 
ing it  carefully  all  around.  If  the  flat  is  very  shallow,  raise 
the  level  to  within  a  half  inch  of  the  top.  But  do  not  water 
this  layer  of  soil.  Set  the  flat  aside  to  drain.  By  the  end 
of  another  half  hour,  when  all  the  water  has  drained  away 
that  the  grains  of  earth  will  not  hold,  some  will  have  climbed 
quite  to  the  top.  Scatter  on,  now,  about  a  sixteenth  of  an 
inch  of  medium  fine  sand,  and  the  flat  is  ready  for  the  seed.1 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  a  flat  ?    Why  is  it  better  for  raising  seed  than  a  pot  ? 

2.  Describe  the  making  of  a  flat. 

3.  How  should  it  be  drained  ? 

4.  What  earth  do  you  recommend  for  flats  ? 

5.  Describe  how  to  fill  and  water  it. 

1 1  shall  advise  planting  seeds  in  sand.  More  of  them  will  sprout,  and 
since  sand  causes  less  danger  of  disease,  more  of  them  will  live. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
SEEDING  THE  FLATS 

So  far  we  have  worked  without  tools,  and  to  tell  the  truth, 
of  real  tools  we  shall  need  almost  none.  We  had  to  have  a 
saw  and"  a  knife  to  make  the  flats ;  but  then  we  were  carpen- 
tering. Now  that  we  are  really  gardening,  we  have  used  a 
trowel  to  fill  the  flats,  though  we  could  have  got  along  with- 
out it.  Put  it  down  as  a  convenience,  however,  adding  that 
the  best  trowel  for  flat-gardening  is  the  small  mason's  trowel, 
flat,  and  diamond-shaped.  The  flat  blade  helps  in  smooth- 
ing the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  the  sharp,  straight  point 
will  be  useful  in  lifting  the  tiny  plants,  a  few  weeks  from 
now.  Yet  after  all,  in  half  an  hour  a  clever  boy  or  girl  can 
make  a  tool  that  is  better  than  anything  else  for  the  work 
that  we  are  to  do. 

Get  a  piece  of  wood  about  seven  inches  long;  a  little 
more  or  less  will  not  matter.  It  should  be  about  half  an 


v~^,  ..,..       .Ste^ar: .  ,TT.  " 

FIG.  66.  —  The  "seed-trowel,"  a  useful  tool  for  flat-gardening.     Any  one 
can  whittle  one  out  of  a  piece  of  hard  wood. 

inch  in  diameter,  and  should  best  have  a  hard,  close  grain. 
Hard  wood^  while  more  difficult  to  work,  will  take  and  keep 
a  better  point  and  edge.  I  made  my  trowel  out  of  the  handle 
of  a  little  sink-mop  that  was  used  for  washing  bottles.  Now 
whittle  one  end  into  the  shape  of  a  sharpened  pencil  of  which 
the  lead  shows  for  nearly  an  inch.  Next,  flatten  the  other 

121 


122  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

end,  for  perhaps  two  inches,  into  the  shape  of  the  blade  of  a 
table  knife.  Make  the  edge  fairly  sharp,  so  that  it  will  cut 
into  the  moist  earth  with  little  disturbance  of  the  particles. 
Our  tool  is  now  a  kind  of  trowel  for  lifting  small  plants  or  for 
drawing  lines  in  the  soil,  with  an  end  that  can  be  used  for 
making  holes  for  seed,  or  in  pushing  the  tiny  seed  into  place. 

For  smoothing  the  surface,  a  sharp-edged,  straight  ruler, 
such  as  any  one  can  make,  is  useful.  It  should  be  almost  the 
inner  length  of  the  shortest  flat,  so  that  it  can  be  used  in 
any  of  them.  The  broader  it  is,  the  better.  Or  a  float, 
easily  made  of  a  block  of  wood  of  the  proper  size,  with  a  strip 
tacked  on  to  use  as  a  handle,  may  be  used  for  the  same 
purpose. 

The  seed  is  now  ready  for  us,  having  been  already  tested. 
It  should  be  sowed  in  the  flats  so  carefully  that  neither 
seed  nor  space  is  wasted.  As  most  seedlings  can  be  trans- 
planted (except  for  those  of  the  squashes,  of  which  I  will 
speak  later)  we  may  sow  the  seed  pretty  closely.  Counting 
on  some  natural  or  accidental  loss,  and  always  expecting  to 
give  away  some  of  the  plants,  we  had  better  sow  twice  as 
many  seed  as  we  shall  want  plants.  In  gardening  we  should 
always  plant  too  much,  in  order  to  be  sure  to  have  enough. 
Calculate,  then,  how  many  plants  of  the  various  kinds  will 
be  needed  in  the  outdoor  garden;  multiply  by  two;  and 
then  see  how  much  space  will  be  needed  in  the  flats.  We 
shall  sow  either  broadcast,  scattering  the  seed  a  quarter- 
inch  apart  evenly  over  the  whole  space ;  or  else  we  shall 
sow  in  rows  about  two  inches  apart,  the  seed  a  quarter  inch 
apart  in  the  rows.  We  shall  find  that  it  does  not  take  much 
space  in  the  flats  to  provide  for  a  good-sized  garden  out  of 
doors. 

In  the  flats  we  shall  cover  the  seed  to  about  twice  its  own 
depth.  Having  decided  just  where  the  seed  is  to  go,  we 


tfc 


SEEDING   THE  FLATS  123 

either  strew  it  delicately  broadcast,  or  else  we  prepare  to 
sow  it  in  rows.  Laying  the  ruler  along  the  line  where  the 
first  row  is  to  go,  we  mark  it  faintly  in  the  sand  by  means 
of  the  blunt  point  of  the  seed  trowel,  or  by  pressing  the  edge 
of  the  ruler  slightly  into  the  sand.  Along  this  line  we  sow 
the  seed,  either  shaking  it  from  the  seed-paper  or  from  the 
palm  of  the  hand,  or  patiently,  one  by  one,  dropping  the  seed. 

It  is  worth  while  to  take  pains  with  this. 
Use  the  point  of  the  seed  trowel,  and 
whether  you  have  sowed  broadcast  or  in 
rows,  push  the  seed  into  the  proper  spaces. 

Then  cover  the  seed.  This  is  done  by 
sifting  over  it  the  proper  thickness  of  sand. 
Then  with  the  ruler,  or  the  float,  press  the 
sand  snugly  everywhere  over  the  surface. 
This  is  called  firming  it.  But  with  the 
very  tiny  seeds,  and  with  the  seed  of  celery, 
we  simply  press  the  seed  into  the  sand,  pIO<  67 

without  Covering  it  at  all.  everything  you  sow. 

AT  i        i  j  i     J.Y.  n    A.  In  the  flats  a  piece  of 

JN  ow  we  should  mark  the  row.     Get  a    stjff  paper  wm  do. 
little  wooden  label,  a  bit  of  cardboard,  or 
even  a  slip  of  stiff  brown  paper.     On  it  copy  the  name  that 
was  on  the  seed  package:    "Tomato,  Stirling  Castle,"  or 
"Poppy,  Gaw's  Victoria."     Mark  also  the  date.     We  need 
these  facts  so  as  to  tell   the   different   plants   apart  when 
they  appear  (for   at   first   they  will   look  nothing  like  to- 
matoes or  poppies),  and  also  so  as  to  know  when  to  expect 
the  appearance  of  the  seedlings.     And  now  we  are  ready  to 
plant  the  rest  of  the  flats. 

One  kind  of  seed  should  be  planted  differently  from  all 
others.  Members  of  the  squash  family  (which  besides  the 
squashes  includes  the  cucumber,  melon,  watermelon,  mar- 
rows, and  gourds;  sometimes  they  are  called  the  cucurbits) 


124 


THE  BEGINNER  S   GARDEN  BOOK 


very  much  object  to  having  their  roots  disturbed.  If  trans- 
planted, they  either  will  be  very  slow  in  starting  again,  or 
will  die.  We  must  therefore  plan  to  sow  them  where  they 
are  to  remain;  that  is,  they  should  be  put  into  something 
which  can  be  set  right  into  the  open  garden. 

For  this  a  flower  pot  will  not  do,  as  it  has  but  a  small  hole 
in  the  bottom  for  the  roots  to  escape  by.  We  might  try  to 
take  the  ball  of  earth  out  of  the  pot,  yet  there  is  much  danger 


FIG.  68.  —  Melon  plants  in  two-  and  three-inch  pots,  and  on  old  sod.     The 
sod  is  better.     These  all  need  thinning  to  one  plant. 

of  disturbing  the  roots ;  for  these  great  hairy  things,  if 
once  they  get  to  the  pot  (and  get  there  they  will,  if  they 
can)  cling  so  firmly  to  the  earthenware  that  it  is  difficult 
to  dislodge  them  without  injury.  After  a  few  experiments, 
therefore,  I  have  not  used  pots  for  cucurbits  any  more.  Some 
persons  take  an  old  sod,  turn  it  upside  down,  and,  scooping 
out  the  center,  put  in  good  planting  earth.  Or  some  take 
an  old  tomato  can,  with  neither  top  nor  bottom,  fill  it  with 
earth,  and  put  in  the  seed.  In  this  case  a  trowel  or  thin 
board  must  be  slipped  under  the  can  whenever  it  is  moved. 


SEEDING   THE  FLATS  125 

For  my  part  I  prefer  a  strawberry  box.  The  wide  cracks 
at  the  corners  allow  drainage,  and  the  bottom  allows  the 
box  to  be  moved  freely.  Then  when  it  is  time  to  set  the 
plant  out  of  doors,  the  bottom  of  the  box  can  be  cut  away, 
and  the  roots  allowed  to  strike  deep  into  the  ground. 

Seeds  of  the  squashes  may  be  covered  as  deep  as  a  quarter 
or  half  of  an  inch.  Make  a  little  hole  with  the  finger,  put 
in  the  seed,  with  the  point  down,  and  cover  with  earth.  Or 
thrust  the  seed  straight  down  into  the  soil  for  the  distance 
of  its  own  length,  and  fill  with  earth  the  hole  that  the  fingers 
have  made.  Plant  three  near  the  center  of  each  box,  an 
inch  from  each  other.  Label,  and  then  treat  like  the  other 
flats. 

If  the  flats  have  been  seeded  soon  after  watering,  they  will 
not  need  to  be  watered  for  some  time.  But  if  from  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  soil  they  are  too  dry  (we  can  tell  by  the 
color,  or  the  feel),  they  should  be  watered  again.  Now  that 
the  seeds  are  in,  the  watering  should  be  especially  careful. 
Use  if  you  must  a  watering-pot  with  very  small  holes,  hold- 
ing it  close  to  the  flat.  Better  still,  lay  cloth  (sacking  or  a 
double  thickness  of  cheese-cloth  will  do)  over  the  earth  be- 
fore watering.  Best  of  all  is  to  set  the  flat  in  a  pan  of  water, 
allowing  this  to  seep  up  from  below. 

When  the  flat  is  thoroughly  watered,  you  will  see  the 
moisture  shining  on  the  surface.  If  you  touch  the  soil 
with  your  finger,  a  little  puddle  quickly  gathers.  Now  set 
the  flat  away  to  drain.  Put  it  in  another  pan,  or  have  sand 
strewed  over  your  shelf  or  table  to  catch  the  moisture. 

The  seeds  now  want  two  things  besides  moisture :  dark- 
ness and  heat.  Darkness  is  given  by  the  covering  of  soil; 
but  we  may  make  the  flat  darker  still,  and  at  the  same  time 
prevent  the  surface  from  drying,  by  putting  a  little  board 
over  the  flat.  This  will  do  very  well  if  we  get  our  heat 


126  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

from  a  radiator,  on  which  we  may  set  the  flats.  But  if  we 
mean,  like  outdoor  gardeners,  to  use  the  heat  of  the  sun,  we 
had  best  put  a  sheet  of  glass  (old  camera  plates  will  do ; 
they  can  be  very  easily  washed)  loosely  over  the  flat  when 
we  set  it  in  the  sun.  Moisture  from  the  earth  will  stand  in 
drops  on  the  bottom  of  the  glass,  and  the  climate  below 
will  be  tropical.  But  it  must  not  be  too  tropical;  lift  one 
edge  a  little,  by  means  of  a  splinter  of  wood  placed  under  it. 
Watch  the  flats  now  daily,  several  times  daily.  If  the 
surface  of  earth  cakes,  or  becomes  dry,  water  it  again.  But 
we  may  need  but  one  watering,  or  none  at  all,  if  only  we  have 
coverings  loosely  fitted  over  the  flats. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  sort  of  a  trowel  do  you  propose  to  use? 

2.  What  is  broadcast  sowing  ? 

3.  Describe  the  sowing  of  a  row  of  seed.     With  what  should  it 
be  covered  ? 

4.  Should  all  seeds  be  covered  ? 

5.  What  plants  do  not  transplant  well?    How  should  they  be 
handled? 

6.  How  may  the  sprouting  of  seeds  in  a  flat  be  hastened  ? 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  SEEDLINGS,  INDOORS 

WE  are  watching  for  the  appearance  of  our  seedlings,  and 
now  the  dates  written  on  our  labels  will  keep  us  from  undue 
worry.  Some  seeds  sprout  much  quicker  than  others. 
Radish  is  quicker  than  most  vegetables,  requiring  frequently 
but  three  days.  Do  not  be  troubled,  however,  unless  they 
do  not  appear  for  a  week.  On  the  other  hand,  you  need  not 
expect  to  see  your  celery  seedlings  for  ten  days,  while  they 
may  not  raise  their  heads  for  twenty.  Flower  seeds  vary 
quite  as  widely  as  this.  If  you  had  soaked  them  first,  they 
would  have  "come"  the  quicker. 

In  any  case,  the  time  is  likely  to  seem  too  long.  Yet  at 
last  we  see  the  tiny  irregular  crack  appearing  along  the  line 
of  the  drill,  and  soon  the  seedlings  begin  to  show.  They 
come  in  odd  forms :  the  onion  thrusts  forth  an  elbow,  the 
tomato  two  little  leaves,  the  carrot  tiny  spears  like  blades 
of  grass.  Other  seedlings  take  other  forms  —  but  at  any 
rate,  here  they  are,  and  now  we  must  care  for  them. 

As  soon  as  the  first  crack  in  the  soil  appears,  the  cover 
should  be  taken  from  the  flat,  and  the  flat  brought  to  the 
light.  If  left  in  the  dark,  the  seedlings  will  be  pale  and 
spindly,  reaching  eagerly  toward  the  cracks  where  light 
enters.  If  left  covered  with  glass,  the  tropical  climate,  so 
good  for  the  sprouting  of  the  seeds,  is  very  likely  to  cause 
the  little  plants  to  be  soft  and  feeble. 

127 


128  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

And  now  that  the  plants  are  up,  we  may  well  allow  the 
surface  of  the  soil,  which  we  have  carefully  kept  moist,  to 
dry  out  a  little.  This  is  because  of  a  disease  which  florists 
all  dread.  It  is  called  "damping-off,"  and  cuts  down  the 
little  plants  suddenly.  Too  much  moisture  causes  it,  or 
crowding — 'and  here  is  one  reason  why  I  advised  so  much 
space  for  each  seed.  So  let  the  surface  dry  a  little;  and 
then,  that  it  may  not  dry  too  much,  make  a  mulch  by  scratch- 
ing the  dry  soil.  If  you  wish  to  do  this  quickly,  an  old 
table  fork  will  serve ;  but  the  work  may  be  done  with  the 
sharp  end  of  the  seed-trowel.  And  in  case  you  have  not 
been  able  to  plant  in  sand,  do  not  be  alarmed  when  the 
surface  now  looks  dusty.  If  you  have  done  the  work 
properly,  on  drawing  the  dust  away  the  moist  soil  will 
quickly  show. 

We  must,  however,  water  the  soil  at  proper  times.  This 
depends  on  the  quickness  with  which  our  particular  mixture 
of  earth  will  dry  out;  and  it  depends  as  well  on  the  size 
and  depth  of  the  flats.  Speaking  generally,  I  should  say 
that  every  other  day  is  often  enough  to  water.  But  every 
gardener  will  have  to  find  this  out  for  himself  —  with  this 
warning,  that  the  larger  the  plants  grow,  the  oftener  will 
water  have  to  be  given. 

To  watch  the  growth  is  a  great  pleasure.  The  seed- 
leaves,  which  first  appear,  turn  green,  spread  out,  and  pro- 
duce at  their  joining  a  little  knob  which  soon  proves  to  be 
the  beginning  of  the  stem,  with  its  first  pair  of  true  leaves. 
Once  every  few  days  we  turn  the  flats  half  round  so  that  the 
plants  shall  not  grow  toward  the  sun.  The  stem  shoots  up, 
another  pair  of  leaves  appears,  and  we  become  aware  that 
the  little  plants  are  beginning  to  crowd.  If  in  the  beginning 
we  were  generous  with  our  seed,  or,  being  doubtful  of  its 
strength,  sowed  very  thickly,  so  that  the  " stand"  of  plants 


THE  SEEDLINGS,   INDOORS 


129 


was  very  thick,  then  they  have  been  crowded  from  the 
beginning. 


FIG.  69.  —  Seedlings  of  squash,  each  with  one  true  leaf  just  showing.      The 
others  are  cotyledons. 

As  soon  as  we  see  that  this  has  happened,  we  should  recog- 
nize the  danger.  If  they  crowd  too  closely,  they  may  damp 
off ;  or  in  the  struggle  for  plant  food  they  may  all  grow  weak 
and  " leggy,"  or  too  tall  and  thin.  There  are  now  two  things 
for  the  gardener  to  choose  between.  One  is  to  transplant, 
the  other  to  thin,  the  plants. 


FIG.  70.  —  Seedlings  of  tomato.     The  first  pair  of  true  leaves  is  just  opening 

out. 

If  the  plants  are  crowded  from  the  first,  they  must  be 
thinned,  since  when  so  young  they  cannot  safely  be  moved. 


130  THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 

A  look  at  the  softness  and  delicacy  of  their  tiny  stems  and 
roots  will  prove  this.  With  much  care,  then,  we  pinch  off, 
or  twitch  out,  the  weaker  of  the  little  plants,  leaving  the 
remainder  at  safe  distances  from  each  other.  As  this  safe 
distance,  for  young  plants,  need  be  no  more  than  a  quarter 
inch,  we  see  that  to  plant  the  seed  at  that  distance  is  wise. 
It  saves  the  early  work  of  thinning,  which  is  not  easy,  and 
which  really  disturbs  somewhat  the  roots  of  the  plants  that 
remain. 

At  any  rate,  we  have  at  last  our  plants  with  four  true 
leaves,  before  the  appearance  of  which  it  is  not  wise  to  trans- 
plant them.  Their  stems  are  now  more  fibrous,  and  their 
roots  longer.  They  can  therefore  stand  the  moving  well, 
and  we  will  prepare  another  flat  to  receive  them.  (Pots 
are  better  for  the  plants,  but  they  are  expensive,  and  require 
much  more  room.)  At  the  same  time  we  water  the  first 
flat,  lest  the  earth,  if  too  dry,  shall  drop  off  from  the  roots 
while  we  are  moving  the  plants.  For  the  more  earth  we 
can  lift  with  the  little  roots,  the  less  the  plants  lose  in 
strength. 

Now,  with  the  two  flats  side  by  side,  we  begin  the  work 
of  transplanting.  With  the  flat  end  of  the  seed-trowel  we 
strike  deeply  around  three  sides  of  the  plant  which  we  first 
select ;  then,  thrusting  the  little  tool  down  the  fourth  side, 
we  lift  the  whole  plant  out  of  the  flat.  This  must  be  done 
carefully,  while  the  other  hand  makes  sure  both  that  the 
.top  of  the  plant  is  not  tangled  with  its  neighbors  and  that 
the  plant  does  not  fall  from  the  trowel.  Without  joggling, 
the  plant  is  carried  to  the  second  flat,  where  a  single  thrust 
of  the  finger  has  made,  or  can  now  make,  a  hole  for  the 
roots.  We  pause  a  moment  to  see  if  the  hole  is  deep  enough. 
If  not,  we  make  it  deeper ;  if  too  shallow,  we  push  a  little 
soil  into  the  hole.  Then  we  lower  the  roots  into  place,  gather 


THE  SEEDLINGS,   INDOORS 


131 


the  earth  around  them  with  the  free  hand,  and  then,  laying 
down  the  trowel,  with  the  fingers  of  both  hands  we  firm  the 
earth  around  the  plant.1 

Of  course  the  first  attempt  is  clumsy,  but  we  learn  with 
practice.  The  operation  which  at  first  needed  a  couple  of 
minutes,  we  presently  accomplish  in  a  few  seconds.  We 
set  all  the  plants  from  the  old  flat  into  the  new  one,  or  the 


FIG.  71.  —  SEEDLINGS  OF  CABBAGE. 

The  first  pair  of  true  leaves  is  well  grown.     On  the  first  plant  the  second 
pair  is  budding. 

new  ones,  placing  them  now  two  inches  apart  from  each 
other.     When  we  have  finished  we  survey  the  flat. 

Truly,  it  does  not  look  very  neat.  Our  fingers  have 
pinched  the  earth  closely  around  the  plants,  so  that  these 
stand  in  little  hillocks,  with  valleys  in  between.  We  must 
therefore  take  earth  from  the  first  flat  and  fill  all  hollows, 
making  the  surface  even.  If  the  soil  seems  dry,  we  may 
water ;  indeed,  it  is  a  good  practice  to  water  after  trans- 
planting, to  make  sure  that  the  soil  particles  get  close  to  the 
roots.  Finally  we  set  the  flat  in  a  shady  place  for  the  rest 


132  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

of  the  day.  The  plants  have  each  had  a  shock,  since  in 
spite  of  all  our  pains  we  must  have  torn  away  some  of  their 
fine  roots.  In  compensation  for  this  loss  at  the  roots  I  often 
nip  off  a  part  of  a  leaf,  or  even  a  whole  one.  Not  until  the 
next  day  do  I  put  the  plants  in  the  sun  again. 

It  may  be  asked,  why  do  we  need  to  thin  or  transplant  ? 
Why  not  sow  the  seed  at  two-inch  distances  at  the  first,  so 
as  to  save  the  labor  and  the  shock  to  the  plants?  The 
answer  is  that,  if  not  done  too  early  or  too  often,  trans- 
planting is  good  for  the  plants.  The  little  shock  prepares 
them  for  the  next  one ;  and  besides,  they  are  encouraged 
to  grow  a  thick  mass  of  fibrous  roots,  easy  to  handle,  rather 
than  long  wandering  roots  that 'will  be  injured.  They  are 
thus  the  better  fitted  to  be  moved  again,  as  they  must  be  if 
they  are  to  be  set  outdoors. 

But  the  cucurbits,  as  we  have  seen,  must  not  be  trans- 
planted at  all.  We  content  ourselves  by  pulling  out  of 
each  box  all  the  plants  except  the  strongest.  The  others 
we  may  try  to  save  by  transplanting,  but  we  are  likely 
to  lose  them. 

Once  the  plants  are  safely  transplanted  (and  for  a  couple 
of  days  we  shall  watch  anxiously  to  see  that  all  are  doing 
well)  we  treat  them  much  as  before,  with  cultivating  and 
watering.  From  time  to  time  we  turn  a  different  side  to  the 
sun.  If  again  the  plants  crowd  they  should  again  be  trans- 
planted, which  after  the  first  trial  is  now  easy.  It  is  not 
difficult  to  handle  plants ;  even  the  least  experienced,  if 
only  he  is  interested,  can  learn  to  manage  them.  The 
pleasure  in  watching  the  little  things  grow  strong  under  his 
care  I  will  leave  the  reader  to  find  out  for  himself. 


THE  SEEDLINGS,   INDOORS  133 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Describe,  from  your  experience,  the  appearance  of  seedlings. 

2.  What  is  damping  off,  and  what  cure  is  there  for  it  ? 

3.  What  should  be  done  when  the  plants  crowd  ? 

4.  How  do  you  kriow  when  a  plant  may  safely  be  transplanted  ? 

5.  Describe  your  method  of  transplanting. 

6.  Does  transplanting  not  harm  the  plants  ? 


CHAPTER  XIX 
POTTING 

WE  must  know  how  to  pot  plants  and  cuttings,  even 
though  we  shall  use  pots  as  little  as  we  can.  Pots  are  ex- 
pensive, they  take  up  more  room  than  flats,  and  they  are 
more  troublesome  to  handle.  Pots  dry  out  more  quickly 
than  flats,  and  so  have  to  be  watched  more  carefully.  Never- 
theless, they  have  certain  very  great  advantages.  Plants 
in  pots  do  not  have  to  struggle  with  their  neighbors,  and 
thus  can  more  quickly  grow  large  and  strong.  When  plants 
grow  too  big  for  their  pots,  they  can  be  repotted  without  the 
slightest  injury  to  their  roots,  and  do  not  have  to  wait  to 
recover.  Cuttings,  after  they  are  once  started,  always  do 
better  in  pots  than  in  flats.  Therefore,  although  for  most 
of  the  time  we  shall  use  flats,  yet  for  plants  which  are  deli- 
cate, or  in  which  we  are  specially  interested,  we  shall  use  pots. 

In  buying  pots  we  should  take  care  to  get  them  well  made 
and  uniform.  They  should  "nest"  well;  that  is,  when 
empty  they  should  fit  snugly  into  each  other.  Those  are 
stronger  which  have  a  thickened  rim.  For  ordinary  plants 
the  deep  or  so-called  standard  pots  are  best ;  for  bulbs, 
except  for  lilies  and  gladioli,  use  the  shallower  bulb  pans. 
For  our  present  purpose,  raising  seedlings  to  set  out  of  doors, 
two-inch,  three-inch,  and  perhaps  four-inch  pots  are  the  sizes 
that  we  shall  need.  The  two-  and  three-inch  pots  will  need 
only  a  crock  (a  piece  of  broken  pot)  or  a  stone,  over  the  hole 

134 


POTTING  135 

in  the  bottom,  to  assist  drainage;    the  four-inch  pots  will 
need  a  little  coarse  material  as  well. 

Nothing  else  does  quite  so  well  as  these  terra-cotta  pots. 
Nevertheless,  other  things  may  be  used.  Strawberry  boxes, 
for  example,  will  do  nicely,  though  they  are  large  and  clumsy. 
Tin  cans,  with  holes  punched  in  the  bottom  for  drainage, 
are  very  serviceable.  But  from  these  we  cannot  repot 
nicely.  Best  of  all  the  cheap  materials  are  the  pots  made 


FIG.  72.  —  "  Standard  "  pots,  with  a  rose  pot  at  the  end  of  the  row.      Pots 
with  thick  rims  are  best  for  general  use. 

of  heavy  paper.  Though  they  do  not  protect  the  plants 
as  well  as  any  of  the  others,  they  may  be  bought  cheaply 
by  the  dozen  or  hundred,  and  on  account  of  their  shape 
can  easily  be  used  for  repotting.  Or  with  a  little  skill,  such 
pots  can  be  made  of  building  paper. 

I  shall  suppose  that  we  are  potting  seedlings  from  the  flats. 
The  same  mixture  of  soil  should  be  used.  We  should  begin 
the  work  of  potting  by  scrubbing  the  two-inch  pots  inside 
and  out.  This  is  neater,  and  it  is  better  for  the  plant  to 
have  clean  porous  pots.  The  process  of  washing  also  wets 
the  pots  thoroughly ;  but  if  they  do  not  need  washing  they 
should  be  put  under  water  for  at  least  a  few  minutes,  so  that 
they  shall  not  steal  water  from  the  plants. 

Drain  them,  now;  and  having  studied  our  plants  to  see 
how  long  the  roots  are,  put  in  such  a  thickness  of  soil  as  the 


136  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

roots  can  just  reach  to,  remembering  that  the  surface  is  to  be 
half  an  inch  below  the  top  of  the  pot.  Now  lift  the  plant, 
hold  it  in  the  middle  of  the  pot  with  one  hand,  and  with  the 
other  pour  in  soil  all  around  it,  firming  it  around  the  sides  of 

the  pot  with  the  fingers  or 
a  little  stick.  Put  in  more 
and  more  until  the  roots 
are  firmly  held ;  then  press 
together,  at  the  very  base 
of  the  little  plant,  enough 
„  .  ,  earth  to  hold  it  upright. 

FIG.  73.  —  Using  the  thumbs   to   finish 

the  potting  of  a  plant.  Level  the  surf  ace,  using 

more  soil  if  necessary; 

tap  the  pot  smartly  on  the  desk  or  table,  to  settle  the  earth 
in  place,  or  press  down  with  the  thumbs,  water  freely  but 
gently,  and  the  work  is  done. 

If  you  have  done  this  properly,  the  plant  is  now  in  the 
pot  with  the  earth  not  too  firmly  pressed  around  it.  If  it  is 
jammed  or  rammed  in  with  too  much  vigor,  the  roots  cannot 
easily  spread  out. 

Another  way  to  pot  the  plant,  and  quite  as  good,  is  to 
drain  the  pot  and  fill  it  loosely  with  earth  quite  to  the  top. 
Tap  it  lightly,  to  settle  the  earth  a  little.  Then  with  the 
finger  make  a  hole  in  the  center  to  the  right  depth,  lower  in 
the  plant,  press  the  earth  around  the  roots,  firm  it  around 
the  base  of  the  stem,  and  scatter  in  a  little  more  earth, 
leveling  the  surface.  If  you  have  calculated  rightly,  and 
have  not  pressed  the  soil  down  too  hard,  you  will  have  both 
earth  and  plant  at  the  right  depth. 

Cuttings  are  to  be  potted  just  as  plants  are,  except  that 
the  larger  ones  may  need  larger  pots. 

Put  the  plants  always  in  the  center  of  the  pot.  They 
can  thus  grow  more  evenly. 


POTTING 


13' 


FIG.   74.  —  POTTED    CUTTINGS. 

Set   the   plant    always    in    the 

center  of  the  pot. 


Now  treat  the  pots  as  you  have  been  treating  the  flats. 

The  easiest  way  of  handling  them,  by  the  way,  is  to  stand 

them  in  a  flat   or   a   pan,  with 

moss    around    them.       This,    if 

kept  wet,  prevents  the  pots  from 

quickly    drying.      Let    the    pots 

dry  out   a   little   on   top,   make 

the  earth  loose,  and  do  not  water 

again  until  you  find  that  the  soil 

beneath  is  also  drying  out.     Then 

water  generously,  as  before.     And 

lest  the  plants  should  grow  one- 
sided by  reaching  toward  the  light, 

every  few  days  turn  the  flat  about, 

or  else  give  each  pot  a  half  turn. 

Treated  thus,  the  plants  will  grow  quickly,  and  you  will 
soon  begin  to  wonder  if  the  pots  are 
not  too  small  for  them.  You  can 
easily  find  out.  Take  one  of  them 
soon  after  it  is  watered  —  not  when 
the  soil  is  dry,  or  the  earth  may  crum- 
ble away.  Hold  the  pot  in  one  hand, 
with  two  fingers  across  the  top,  one  on 
either  side  of  the  stem  of  the  plant. 
Turn  the  pot  upside  down,  and  rap  on 
the  bottom  with  the  knuckles  of  the 
other  hand,  or  with  a  knife-handle. 
The  ball  of  earth  should  drop  lightly 
against  the  fingers,  the  pot  can  be 
lifted  away,  and  you  can  examine  the 
roots.  If  a  good  many  of  them  have 
,'  7,5'~Ap!afnt  pushed  through  the  earth,  and  are 

turned  out  of  its  pot,  for  r  . 

examination  of  the  roots,  coiling  against  the  bottom  and  sides, 


138 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


then  the  plant  is  crowding,  and  should  be  given  more  space. 
If  you  see  only  a  few  roots,  or  none  at  all,  put  the  plant 
back  again  and  wait  a  few  more  days. 

If  the  plant  does  not  easily  slip  out  of  the  pot,  as  described, 
strike  the  edge  of  the  pot,  while  it  is  upside  down,  against 
the  table. 

When  you  have  decided  that  your  plants  are  ready  for 
repotting,  prepare  enough  pots  of  the  next  size  larger.  Do 
not  take  four-inch  pots  when  three-inch  ones  will  do :  if 
you  follow  this  direction,  the  plants 
will  thrive  better.  Wash  the  pots 
as  before,  put  in  coarse  material  for 
drainage,  and  now  put  in  a  layer  of 
lightly  packed  earth  of  such  thick- 
ness that  when  the  ball  of  earth  from 
the  first  pot  is  resting  in  the  second, 
the  surface  will  come  about  as  before, 
half  an  inch  from  the  top.  This  will 
require  good  judgment. 

Now  take  from  its  pot  a  plant 
which,  half  an  hour  ago,  you  have 
well  watered.  The  white  roots  (they 

should  never  be  left  so  long  as  to  become  brown  and  woody) 
are  curling  tightly  near  the  bottom.  Loosen  them  a  little 
with  the  point  of  your  seed-trowel.  If  they  are  clinging  to 
any  of  the  drainage  material,  brush  it  away.  Now  from  the 
top  and  sides  of  the  ball  of  earth,  using  fingers  or  seed-trowel, 
break  away  some  of  the  earth.  Do  not  injure  the  roots  in 
doing  this.  Lower  the  ball,  now,  into  the  middle  of  the 
three-inch  pot,  and  put  in  earth  all  around  it,  packing  it 
with  the  fingers,  and  making  sure  that  nowhere,  especially 
at  the  bottom,  shall  there  be  any  empty  spaces.  Fill  in 
now  on  top  till  the  plant  stands  at  the  right  depth,  and 


FIG.  76.  —  A  plant  as  taken 
from  its  pot,  and  as  prepared 
for  repotting. 


POTTING  139 

water  it.  You  will  soon  learn  to  do  this  work  quickly 
and  neatly. 

And  so,  as  the  plants  grow,  you  can  move  them  from  pot 
to  pot,  always  using  but  a  single  size  larger.  The  method 
is  always  the  same.  Have  the  new  pot  clean,  damp,  and 
well  drained,  and  holding  enough  fresh  soil  to  keep  the  plant 
at  the  proper  depth.  Loosen  the  roots  when  you  take  the 
plant  from  the  old  pot ;  break  away  as  much  of  the  old  earth 
as  you  can,  and  repot  in  the  middle  of  the  new  pot.  Have 
no  air  spaces  under  or  around  the  plant,  yet  do  not  pack 
the  earth  so  hard  that  the  roots  cannot  easily  grow.  Then 
set  in  the  sun.  Turn  the  plants  every  few  days.  If  the 
plant  is  growing  slowly,  and  seems  stunted,  feed  and  water 
freely ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  plant  is  growing  tall 
and  looks  pale  and  soft,  feed  and  water  less.  Such  plants 
may  well  have  their  tops  nipped  back. 

Watering  of  pots  is  usually  done  from  the  top.  If  you 
have  an  ordinary  watering  can,  take  off  the  sprinkler,  so 
as  to  direct  the  water  at  the  pot,  instead  of  pouring  it  every- 
where. Better  still  is  a  can  with  a  narrow  nose,  which  can 
be  thrust  among  the  plants  without  hurting  them.  Take 
pains  not  to  direct  the  water  with  such  force  at  one  particular 
place  that  the  earth  is  washed  away.  Instead,  distribute 
the  water  gently  over  the  surface  until  it  stands  in  a  little 
pool  all  around  the  plant.  You  will  soon  learn  how  much 
is  proper  to  give,  by  watching  to  see  how  much  moisture 
drains  out  below.  If  just  a  few  drops  trickle  out,  you  have 
given  exactly  enough. 

But  there  is  another  method  of  watering,  just  as  there 
was  with  flats.  Stand  the  pots  in  pans,  and  then  pour  in  a 
couple  of  inches  of  water.  The  water  should  reach  higher 
than  the  drainage  material  in  the  bottoms  of  the  pots. 
When  it  reaches  the  fine  earth  it  will  climb,  by  capillary 


140  THE  BEGINNEE'S   GARDEN  BOOK 

attraction,  quite  to  the  surface,  where  it  can  be  seen  shining. 
The  plants  should  then  be  promptly  removed  from  the 
water,  and  set  in  their  places  to  drain.  This  is,  of  course, 
a  more  troublesome  method  than  the  first,  and  is  likely  to 
give  the  plants,  for  a  few  minutes,  more  water  than  they 
really  need.  But  it  makes  sure  that  they  have  enough. 

If  you  follow  these  directions  carefully  you  will  have, 
before  long,  a  group  of  sturdy  plants  ready  for  the  garden. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Explain  the  advantages  of  pots  used  for  seedlings. 

2.  Describe  various  substitutes. 

3.  Explain  your  system  of  potting.     Of  repotting. 

4.  How  can  pots  be  easily  watered? 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  HOUSE-PLANTS 

THE  plants  of  which  so  far  we  have  been  speaking  are 
seedlings  or  cuttings,  mostly  destined  for  the  garden.  I 
wish  to  stop  long  enough,  however,  to  speak  of  house-plants, 
which  are  to  be  taken  out  of  doors  only  for  their  summer's 
rest.  In  many  ways  they  should  be  treated  differently 
from  the  plants  which  we  have  just  been  studying. 

In  the  first  place,  the  purpose  of  our  house-plants  is  dif- 
ferent :  usually  we  wish  them  to  flower,  not  to  grow  large. 
And  so  the  repotting  stops  as  soon  as  possible,  say  at  five-  or 
six-  or  seven-inch  pots.  We  are  then  willing  to  keep  them 
longer  in  the  same  pots,  in  the  hope  that  they  will  stop  their 
growth  and  begin  to  flower.  Do  not  repot  a  house-plant, 
then,  unless  you  are  sure  that  the  roots  and  the  plant  are 
suffering  for  more  room  or  fresher  earth.  Even  then  the 
plant  may  flower  better  if  you  take  it  out,  shake  off  some  or 
even  all  of  the  soil  (in  the  latter  case  wash  the  roots)  and  pot 
it  afresh  in  the  same  pot.  Study  again  Figures  22  to  25. 

In  the  second  place,  the  potting-earth  may  very  well  be 
different.  Mix  equal  parts  of  good  loam  and  well-rotted 
manure,  and  with  them  put  a  little  (say  a  third  as  much  as 
of  the  others)  of  leaf  mold.  The  manure  should  be  very 
well  rotted,  and  is  best  a  mixture  of  horse  and  cow  manure. 
This  mixture  may  vary  a  little  :  to  every  bushel  add  a  quart 
of  sand,  if  you  wish  the  plants  to  grow  more  slowly ;  but  for 
strong  growth  add  bone-meal  instead.  Put  a  few  small  bits 

141 


142 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


of  charcoal  in  the  soil,  and  with  the  drainage  material  mix 
larger  pieces. 

Next,  the  plants  should  be  watered  according  to  their 
season.  When  they  are  flowering,  water  freely ;  when  they 
are  not  (they  are  then  said  to  be  resting),  give  much  less. 

Remember,  also,, 
to  watch  the 
plants  on  very 
s  unny  days. 
Through  the  win- 
ter  the  sun 
streams  in  the 
windows  almost 
directly  on  the 
plants,  and  in 
spring  and  fall  is 
often  especially 
hot.  Do  not  let 
the  plants  dry 
out  too  much. 

On  account  of 
this  very  hot  sun, 
again,  be  careful 

not  to  wet  the  leaves  when  the  sun  is  directly  on  them. 
They  may  then  burn  and  shrivel. 

Fertilizers  are  likewise  different.  Instead  of  nitrate  of 
soda  or  liquid  manure  for  rapid  leaf  growth  (they  may  of 
course  be  applied  whenever  the  plant  looks  sickly)  bone 
dust,  which  is  finer  than  bone-meal,  may  be  mixed  with  the 
top  soil,  half  a  teaspoonful  at  a  time.  For  coaxing  plants 
to  flower,  you  can  buy  at  the  florists'  various  mixtures,  which 
are  usually  good.  Apply  carefully  according  to  directions, 
and  be  sure  not  to  give  too  much. 


FIG.  77.  —  A  house-plant.     Gloxinia. 


THE  HOUSE-PLANTS  143 

We  shall  still  turn  the  plants  every  few  days,  to  keep  them 
growing  evenly;  but  with  these  older  plants  we  shall  have 
more  to  do.  If  a  leaf  withers,  we  pick  it  off;  and  whenever 
a  blossom  fades,  we  make  sure  to  nip  it  before  the  plant  begins 
to  form  seed,  \\0ien  plants  make  seed,  they  stop  flowering. 
If  the  leaves  are  dusty,  we  wipe  them  with  a  soft,  damp  rag. 
And  with  these  house-plants  we  study,  also,  the  general 
shape.  If  the  plant  is  growing  one-sided,  we  cut  out  leaves, 
or  even  branches,  from  one  part,  in  order  to  help  the  other. 
And  if  the  plant  grows  too  tall,  we  cut  it  back,  so  as  to  en- 
courage buds  to  start  lower  down.  It  is  a  mistake  to  let 
house-plants,  and  especially  geraniums,  grow  too  gawky. 
Beautiful  flowers  will  not  hide  the  ungainliness. 

Sometimes,  when  we  discover  that  a  plant  is  yellowish 
and  sickly,  we  have  cause  to  worry.  First  we  question  if 
it  has  had  sun  enough,  or  even  perhaps  too  much.  We 
ask  if  the  room  has  been  allowed  to  grow  too  cold  at  night. 
The  room  should  not  be  colder  than  about  fifty  degrees  — 
nor  should  it,  by  the  way,  get  so  high  as  eighty  degrees  for 
the  ordinary  plants  Drafts  of  cold  air  are  often  as  bad 
for  plants  as  a  cold  room.  If  air  is  introduced  (and  the  room 
should  always  be  fresh),  it  should  not  be  by  air  blowing 
directly  on  the  plants.  The  air  should  be  moist,  and  that  is 
why  plants  often  suffer  in  hot-air  or  steam-heated  houses  — 
the  air  is  dry.  It  can  be  made  moister  by  standing  dishes 
of  water  on  the  radiator,  or  by  hanging  little  pails  in  the 
register.  Gas,  from  the  gas-jet  or  the  furnace,  will  quickly 
injure  plants. 

If  none  of  these  causes  have  brought  about  the  injury,  we 
must  look  for  some  enemy  or  a  disease. 

Enemies,  of  course,  are  insects,  and  the  first  of  them  is  the 
aphis  —  a  soft-bodied  little  thing  of  different  colors.  Wipe 
off  his  colonies  with  a  soapy  rag,  but  best  spray  the  plant 


144  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

with  any  of  several  mixtures  which  you  can  buy  at  the  stores. 
Aphine   is   well   recommended.     Or   construct   a   box  into 
which  you  can  put  the  plant,  burn  in  it  some  tobacco  — 
stems  are  good  enough  for  the  purpose;    the  florist  sells 
them  —  and  leave  the  plant  covered  for  four  or  five  hours. 

This  last  remedy  is  also  good  for  red  spider,  the  second 
serious  pest.  He  is  a  tiny  red  or  brown  dot  seen  working  on 
the  under  side  of  the  leaves.  He  can  be  washed  away  by 
cold  water  squirted  against  the  leaves  with  as  much  force 
as  possible.  Turn  the  plant  upside  down  under  a  tall  faucet, 
or  spray  from  a  rubber  bulb  which  can  be  bought  at  the  drug 
store.  Or  again,  dip  the  whole  top  of  the  plant  into  water 
which  is  a  little  hotter  than  you  like  to  put  your  hand  into ; 
at  about  150  degrees.  Do  this  quickly  three  times. 

The  mealy  bug  looks  like  little  tufts  of  cotton.  Wipe 
him  off  with  a  soapy  rag. 

Diseases  are  luckily  very  few.  Fungus  makes  the  leaves 
turn  to  a  black  powder.  To  stop  it,  spray  it  with  Bordeaux 
mixture.  For  house-plants  this  can  be  bought  in  convenient 
form  at  the  seedsman's.  Follow  the  directions  on  the  box 
or  can. 

Mildew  covers  the  leaves  with  a  whitish  powder,  which 
makes  them  curl.  Moisten  the  leaves,  and  dust  thoroughly 
with  flowers  of  sulphur. 

And  always,  whether  'or  not  the  plants  are  sickly,  water 
and  feed  them  well,  keep  the  temperature  right,  and  the  air 
moist. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  do  we  not  put  house-plants  in  as. large  pots  as  possible? 

2.  How  much  water  do  you  give  a  flowering  plant?    A  resting 
plant? 

3.  Why  should  plants  be  turned  every  few  days  ? 


THE  HOUSE-PLANTS  145 

4.  How  should  a  house-plant  be  pruned  ? 

5.  Should  air  for  house-plants  be  dry  or  moist  ?    How  can  it  be 
made  so  ? 

6.  What  is  the  aphis  ?    The  mealy  bug  ?    The  red  spider  ?    How 
are  they  killed  ? 

7.  How  would  yqu  treat  fungus  and  mildew? 


CHAPTER  XXI 
HOT-BEDS  AND  COLD-FKAMES 

PLEASANT  as  is  the  work  of  gardening  in  flats  in  our  win- 
dows, we  are  sure  to  find  the  space  rather  small.  The  first 
flat  overflows  into  others;  or  we  become  ambitious,  and 
we  desire  more  plants.  But  still,  outdoors,  winter  lingers 
in  the  frozen  ground,  and  to  grow  plants  there  is  impossible. 
We  know  how  the  greenhouseman  meets  the  problem,  and 
we  have  been  trying  to  imitate  him.  Puzzling  how  we  may 
gain  a  little  more  room,  we  come  to  the  idea  of  using  window 
sashes,  or  something  like  them,  held  up  on  frames  outdoors, 
to  give  us  garden  space.  Under  them  the  cold  air  cannot 
well  penetrate ;  we  can  close  them  at  night  and  open  them 
when  the  sun  is  warm,  and  the  plants  should  thrive. 

The  idea  is  a  good  one,  and  this  device  is  used  by  many 
people.  One  drawback  is,  however,  that  we  cannot  begin 
to  use  frames  until  the  frost  is  everywhere  pretty  well  out 
of  the  ground.  For  though  by  putting  the  frames  and  sash 
on  the  frozen  ground  we  can  thaw  it  out  directly  below  the 
glass,  the  frost  all  around  will  keep  the  ground  so  cold  that 
seeds  will  scarcely  sprout.  And  if  we  wait  until  the  frost 
is  nearly  gone,  we  are  well  behind  the  season  of  the  green- 
houseman,  or  even  behind  those  who  raise  their  plants  in' 
windows.  How  can  we  make  the  outdoor  soil  warm  enough 
for  gardening  in  March,  or  even  perhaps  in  February  ? 

Rich  folk  do  it  by  putting  under  the  sash,  in  the  soil, 
pipes  carrying  hot  water  or  steam.  We  shall  do  it  another 

146 


HOT-BEDS  AND   COLD-FRAMES  147 

way.  Fresh  horse  manure,  as  we  know,  will  heat  when 
packed  together ;  it  will  even  burn  out  in  a  short  time,  leav- 
ing itself  white  and  cold.  But  by  mixing  with  it  a  proper 
amount  of  straw  it  will  not  get  so  hot,  yet  will  last  much 
longer.  Thus  by  putting  some  of  this  manure  under  the 
soil  in  our  frames, 'we  can  get  and  keep  the  right  temperature. 

Such  an  arrangement  of  manure,  soil,  frame,  and  sash,  is 
called  a  hot-bed.  Used  without  the  manure,  the  frame  and 
sash  are  called  a  cold-frame.  The  hot-bed  may  be  planted 
even  as  early  as  February,  the  cold-frame  not  until  a  month 
or  more  later. 

Hot-beds  can  be  used  in  two  ways.  Either  we  can  spread 
the  hot  manure  right  on  the  frozen  ground,  and  having  packed 
it  in  a  bed  at  least  eighteen 
inches  thick,  we  can  put  our 
frame  and  soil  on  that ;  or 
we  can  dig  a  hole  in  the 
ground  and  pack  the  ma- 
nure in,  and  then  fit  the 
frame  snugly  around  the 
upper  part  of  the  hole.  The  FlG-  78- ~  The  ^bed  set  fb°vet 

ground.      The  method  is  wasteful  of 

first  way   wastes    heat,    for  manure, 
much  of  the  warmth  must 

go  to  thawing  the  frozen  ground  below,  and  some  'escapes 
into  the  air.  Besides,  it  takes  more  manure,  for  the  bed 
must  be  very  thick,  and  it  also  must  be  spread  out  at  least 
a  foot  longer  and  wider  than  the  frame.  If  the  manure  is 
put  into  the  ground,  not  so  much  is  needed;  and  if  sur- 
rounded by  wood,  which  will  keep  the  sides  of  the  hole 
from  crumbling,  not  so  much  of  the  heat  escapes.  Let  us 
suppose  that  this  best  way  is  the  one  that  we  shall  follow. 
First  let  us  settle  the  size  of  our  frame.  This  may  be 
decided  by  the  size  of  the  place  where  we  must  put  the 


148 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


frame,  or  by  the  size  and  number  of  the  old  window  sash, 
such  as  storm  windows,  which  we  may  happen  to  have  at 


FIG.  79.  —  A  sunk  hot-bed,  with  a  permanent  pit  made  of  stone. 
hot-bed  is  the  most  effective. 


Such  a 


our  disposal.     On  the  other  hand,  we  may  buy  the  sash 
outright.     Dealers  usually  supply  them  in  two  sizes,  three 


FIG.  80.  —  A  four-sash  standard  frame,  six  feet  by  twelve. 

feet  by  six  (the  standard  size)  or  about  three  feet  square 
(called  pony  or  junior  sash).  The  latter  are  better  for  small 
folk,  as  it  is  hard  work  reaching  into  the  middle  of  a  frame 
that  is  six  feet  from  front  to  back. 


HOT-BEDS  AND   COLD-FRAMES 


149 


Maybe  you  will  make  your  sash  yourself. x  In  that  case 
notice  that  window  sash  and  garden  sash  are  differently 
made.  Both  can  be  used  for  our  purpose ;  but  if  you  must 
buy,  or  if  you  intend  to  make,  have  the  true  garden  sash. 
It  takes  less  wood  and  less  carpentering,  and  sheds  the  rain 


FIG.  81.  —  HOME-MADE  SINGLE-SASH  FRAMES,  TO  FIT  OLD  STORM  WINDOWS. 

These  frames,  made  of  old  lumber,  have  lasted  for  years,  and  are  enough  to 

supply  a  garden  100  ft.  square  with  transplanted  vegetables. 

better.     Then  plan  your  frame  according  to  the  measurement 
of  the  number  of  sash  that  you  intend  to  put  side  by  side. 

Before  winter  comes,  if  we  are  wise,  we  make  our  pit  and 
line  it  with  wood.  For  this  purpose  we  make  a  sub-frame, 
just  the  size  of  the  upper  one  and  eighteen  inches  deep,  or 
deeper  still  if  we  intend  to  use  much  manure.  Thirty  inches 
is  the  deepest  needed.  The  lumber  may  be  rough,  unless  we 
intend  to  paint  it :  smooth  wood  requires  less  paint.  I 


150  THE  BEGINNERS  GARDEN  BOOK 

should  advise  its  being  made  of  either  cypress,  chestnut,  or 
hemlock,  the  woods  which  last  best  under  ground.  The 
wood  should  be  two  inches  thick  if  we  can  afford  it,  but  all 
this  depends  on  how  much  we  are  willing  to  pay.  If  there 
are  old  boards  at  hand,  of  any  kind  or  thickness,  we  may 
well  make  the  sub-frame,  and  the  top-frame  as  well,  of  these, 
and  save  up  for  the  time  when  we  may  have  to  replace  them. 
Fasten  the  sub-frame  at  the  corners  (if  bolted,  it  can  more 
easily  be  taken  apart)  to  stout  joists  which  extend  a  few 
inches  higher.  These  corner  posts  will  keep  the  upper  frame 
in  place.  Sink  the  sub-frame  with  its  top  on  a  level  with  the 
ground. 

But  where  shall  we  place  it  ?  For  convenience,  of  course, 
near  the  house.  It  should,  however,  have  full  sunshine  for 
as  much  of  the  day  as  possible,  and  so  should  be  on  the 
southerly  side  of  the  house,  with  no  trees  overhanging.  Do 
not  put  the  frame  snug  against  the  house  if  you  can  help  it : 
the  drip  from  the  eaves  is  troublesome ;  and  again,  you  will 
often  wish  to  get  at  the  plants  from  behind.  Face  the  frame 
squarely  to  the  south  (if  you  vary  this  at  all,  it  must  be  only 
a  little  toward  the  east)  so  that  the  sash  shall  get  the  sun 
properly.  But  though  there  is  to  be  nothing  between  the 
frame  and  the  sun,  there  ought  to  be  a  protection  between  it 
and  the  wind.  On  the  northerly  or  northwesterly  sides,  or 
both,  secure  a  windbreak  if  you  can.  It  may  be  the  house, 
or  a  fence,  or  even  evergreens  cut  and  set  in  the  ground. 
This  will  keep  out  the  wind,  and  catch  and  hold  the  sun  in  a 
warm  place. 

Before  winter,  also,  we  decide  upon  our  soil.  Best  is  a 
mixture  of  equal  parts  of  leaf-mold,  well-rotted  manure 
(horse  and  cow  manure  in  equal  parts,  if  possible),  and 
good  garden  loam,  with  a  shovelful  of  sand  for  every  barrow- 
load  of  the  mixture.  The  result,  a  medium  earth  that 


HOT-BEDS  AND   COLD-FRAMES  151 

crumbles  easily  even  when  moist,  will  both  warm  quickly  and 
hold  its  moisture.  If  you  find  that  you  have  just  this  sort 
of  thing  in  the  garden,  you  will  not  need  to  specially  mix  it. 
Store  from  frost  enough  of  it  to  make  a  layer  six  to  nine  inches 
in  depth  over  the  whole  of  your  frame.  You  may  wheel  it  into 
the  cellar,  or  you  may  even  store  it  in  the  sub-frame,  if  you 
cover  deeply  enough  with  hay  or  leaves  to  keep  out  the  frost. 

And  having  done  all  this,  you  can,  at  your  leisure,  while  the 
winter  progresses,  prepare  the  frame.  Unless  it  is  a  very 
small  one,  make  it  so  that  it  can  be  taken  apart.  Besides 
this,  I  need  to  tell  you  only  two  things.  First,  the  front 
should  be  lower  than  the  back  by  about  one-half.  Standard 
frames  are  sixteen  inches  high  at  the  back  and  eight  inches  in 
front.  Pony  frames  measure  about  twelve  and  six  inches. 
The  smaller  the  frames  the  lower  they  should  be,  in  order  to 
get  the  sun  to  as  many  square  inches  of  soil  as  possible. 
Secondly,  there  should  be  a  "  rafter,"  running  from  front  to 
back  of  the  frame,  between  every  two  sash.  For  while  the 
frame  can,  of  course,  hold  as  many  sash,  side  by  side,  as  we 
please,  these  openings  let  in  the  cold  and  the  rain.  Each 
rafter,  then,  and  each  end-piece  supports  the  edge  of  the 
sash  from  beneath,  and  fits  close  along  its  side ;  besides,  each 
supporting  strip  is  grooved  to  carry  away  the  rain.  The 
rafter  should  be  loose  in  its  place,  or  fastened  lightly  in,  so 
that  it  can  be  lifted  out  to  permit  working  inside  the  frame. 

Let  us  study,  for  a  moment,  one  further  problem.  When 
the  day  is  fine  and  sunny,  it  will  be  warm  inside  the  frame. 
But  the  nights  will  always  be  colder,  and  many  days  in  Febru- 
ary and  March  will  be  bitterly  cold  and  stormy.  A  single 
sheet  of  glass  will  not  keep  the  plants  secure  against  the 
cold.  What  can  we  do  in  such  a  case  ? 

Some  people  use  a  sash  with  a  double  layer  of  glass.  It 
has  two  great  advantages.  In  the  first  place  it  admits  light, 


152  THE  BEGINNER'S   GAEDEN  BOOK 

which  the  plants  need,  from  the  earliest  to  the  last  gleam  of 
day.  In  the  second  place,  while  the  sash  are  of  course 
heavier  and  harder  to  handle,  their  management  is  simple. 
But  many  people  have  not  yet  come  to  use  them,  and  those 
in  very  cold  places  doubt  if  even  two  layers  of  glass  are  enough 
to  keep  out  the  cold.  Instead,  the  common  thing  is  to  use 
mats  and  shutters. 

Mats  were  formerly  made  of  straw,  tied  together  by  string ; 
but  nowadays  it  is  well  understood  that  mats  made  of  cloth 
are  easier  to  handle,  lie  closer,  and  last  longer.  An  old 
quilt  is  excellent.  Or  any  one  can  make  mats  at  home,  of 
clean  sacks  quilted  together. 

Shutters  are  quite  as  much  to  keep  the  mats  in  place  as  to 
help  against  the  cold.  There  should  be  one  to  each  sash, 
tightly  jointed — if  possible  of  matched  boards.  But  as  they 
are  clumsy  at  best  they  should  also  be  as  light  as  possible. 
Make  them  of  half-inch  boards,  held  together  by  cross  pieces. 

And  so  we  are  equipped  with  all  our  material,  and  can  look 
eagerly  for  the  coming  of  the  first  hint  of  spring. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  a  hot-bed?     A  cold-frame?     Explain  the  value  of 
the  rafters,  and  how  they  should  be  made. 

2.  How  do  you  propose  to  heat  your  hot-bed  ? 

3.  What  size  frame  do  you  propose  to  use  ?    What  kind  of  sash  ? 
Where  will  you  put  it  ? 

4.  What  windbreak  have  you  ?    What  covers  ? 


•    CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  FRAMES 

THERE  are  in  spring  two  periods  which  every  gardener 
should  learn  to  know.  They  vary  from  place  to  place,  accord- 
ing to  the  distance  from  the  sea,  or  the  height  above  it,  but 
chiefly  according  to  latitude.  The  farther  north  we  are,  the 
later  comes  the  spring,  with  the  two  periods  of  which  I  speak. 
These  are  the  times  when  the  ground  is  fit  for  planting,  and 
when  frosts  are  over  for  the  year.  I  have  mentioned  them 
already;  just  now  we  need  know  only  the  first  in  order  to 
calculate'  when  to  start  our  hot-bed.  Old  gardeners  in  every 
town  know  the  average  season  very  well,  and  we  can  find  out 
from  them. 

Four  to  six  weeks  before  this  time  we  may  start  the  hot- 
bed. First  we  order  the  manure.  It  should  be  horse  manure 
only,  and  from  horses  that  have  been  well  fed  with  grain. 
You  must  calculate  the  amount  that  you  want,  according  to 
the  size  of  your  frame.  A  two-horse  load,  "with  the  side- 
boards on"  (for  manure  does  not  pack  very  closely,  and  is 
lighter  than  earth) ,  will  when  well  tramped  give  enough  for  a 
layer  a  foot  thick  in  a  frame  for  three  pony  sash  —  three  feet 
by  nine.  Should  you  need  a  thicker  layer  (as  you  will  if 
you  start  the  bed  six  weeks  ahead  of  planting  time, 
instead  of  a  month) ,  you  must  buy  more  manure.  If  you 
make  the  bed  on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  it  should  be 
eighteen  inches  deep  and  a  foot  larger  than  the  frame  each 
way — more  manure  still.  Examine  the  manure  carefully 

153 


154  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

when  it  is  delivered.  It  should  be  so  fresh  as  to  be 
already  steaming,  and  should  contain  only  a  third  of 
the  bedding  material,  which  is  best  of  straw.  It  is  not  so 
good,  if  of  leaves;  and  it  should  never,  for  our  purpose, 
be  of  sawdust. 

Pack  the  manure  in  a  thick  bed  about  two  feet  deep.  It 
may  be  left  on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  or  may  be  put  in  the 
frame.  Leave  it  for  two  or  three  days,  and  then  fork  it  over, 
putting  in  the  middle  what  was  first  on  the  outside.  By  this 
time  the  first  heat  of  the  manure,  which  was  more  than  we 
need,  has  gone,  and  we  can  at  this  second  handling  safely 
pack  it  inside  the  frame,  treading  it  down  in  layers  of  three 
or  four  inches,  watering  each  one  when  packed.  With  a 
thermometer  made  for  the  purpose,  or  with  an  ordinary 
thermometer  very  carefully  used,  so  as  not  to  break  it,  daily 
test  the  heat  of  the  bed.  When  it  approaches  ninety  degrees, 
it  is  safe  to  put  in  the  soil. 

The  earth  may  be  from  six  to  nine  inches  deep  over  the 
manure,  and  when  leveled,  should  come  to  about  the  surface 
of  the  ground.  Put  on  your  frame  now,  carefully  bolting  it 
in  place.  Sift  in,  finally,  a  last  layer  of  soil,  making  it  per- 
fectly smooth.  Now  put  in  your  rafters,  unless  you  think 
they  will  be  in  your  way  when  seeding.  Some  people  find 
them  useful  at  that  time. 

Sow  your  seed  next,  just  as  if  you  were  sowing  them  in 
flats,  but  more  thickly.  The  hardiest  and  the  slowest  grow- 
ing of  the  full  season  plants  (parsley,  cabbage,  asters,  car- 
nation) may  go  in  first,  along  with  some  of  the  very  quick 
yielders,  such  as  lettuce  and  radish.  Remember  to  put  the 
tallest  growing  plants  at  the  back  of  the  frame,  where  they 
will  have  the  most  head-room.  Save  your  quick-growing, 
long-season  tender  plants  for  a  little  later  sowing ;  for  such 
things  as  tomato  and  nasturtium,  if  started  in  the  hot-bed 


THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  FRAMES 


155 


too  early,  will  be  so  big  by  transplanting  time  that  they  will 
suffer  when  moved. 

You  may,  if  you  think  it  more  convenient,  sow  the  seed  in 
flats,  sunk  in  the  soil  of  the  hot-bed.  This  is  not  commonly 
done. 

A  help  in  sowing  in  the  soil  is  what  I  call  a  planting-trough, 


FIG.  82.  —  The  use  of  the  planting- trough.  Note  the  method  of  dropping 
the  seed  into  the  trough.  As  soon  as  a  row  is  planted  it  should  be  labeled. 

which  is  a  light  trough  the  sides  of  which  slope  to  an  open 
bottom  which  is  just  wide  enough  to  let  small  seeds  slip 
through.  When  the  seeds  are  shaken  into  it  from  the  hand 
or  paper,  the  sides  guide  the  seed  into  the  right  line.  Thus 
the  rows  are  sure  to  be  straight,  and  no  seed  is  wasted. 

Now  bank  all  around  the  frame  with  earth,  leaves,  or  hay, 
put  on  the  sash,  and  leave  the  seed  to  sprout.     If  the  hot- 


156  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

bed  is  not  too  hot  (is  not  over  ninety  degrees),  you  may  put 
on  mats  and  shutters  as  well,  and  leave  them  for  two  or  three 
days.  At  any  rate,  put  them  on  at  night.  But  watch  the 
frames  daily,  and  if  the  soil  threatens  to  dry  out,  water  it. 
Before  very  long  you  will  see  the  cracking  of  the  soil,  then 
the  appearance  of  the  lines  of  fine  green.  Then  the  delicate 
work  of  caring  for  the  hot-bed  will  begin. 

Part  of  it  is  not  so  delicate  after  all,  since  it  is  but  handling 
the  plants  much  as  they  were  handled  when  in  flats.  They 
must  be  regularly  watered.  Watering  should  be  done  care- 
fully, with  a  fine  and  gentle  spray.  And  as  we  have  learned 
with  our  flats  and  pots,  it  should  be  thorough  and  seldom, 
rather  than  slight  and  often.  The  plants  will  root  deeper  if 
the  best  water  supply  is  not  near  the  surface.  When  they 
have  reached  their  fourth  leaf,  or  when  they  begin  to  crowd, 
they  should  be  thinned,  and  soon  after  that  they  should  be 
transplanted.  Indeed,  you  may  find  that  the  very  first 
thinnings,  if  carefully  pulled,  may  be  set  in  another  part  of  the 
hot-bed,  and  will  root  and  grow.  Thinning  and  transplanting 
should  be  done  exactly  as  with  the  flats,  though  you  will  not 
find  the  work  as  convenient  as  when  you  had  the  flats  before 
you  on  the  table.  Do  not  try  to  transplant  unless  the  seed- 
lings have  been  freshly  watered.  Give  them  plenty  of  space 
—  and  now  you  will  be  glad  that  you  have  so  much  room. 
If  you  can,  pot  your  tomatoes,  peppers,  and  eggplant,  your 
marigold,  calendula,  and  asters.  When  you  have  done  so, 
plunge  the  pots  in  the  earth  ;  that  is,  sink  them  to  their  rims. 
They  will  be  slower  in  drying  out,  and  will  not  be  so  much  in 
the  way.  But  the  plants  should  not  be  allowed  to  root 
through  into  the  soil  below;  therefore,  every  day  or  two, 
lift  them  in  their  nests,  and  turn  them  part  way  about. 
No,  this  part  of  the  work  of  taking  care  of  the  plants  is  not  so 
difficult  after  all. 


THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  FRAMES  157 

The  delicate  part  requires  judgment  chiefly,  and  not  work. 
You  must  learn  how  to  keep  the  air  of  the  frame  "  just  right." 
With  flats  we  learned  that  if  the  earth  was  too  wet,  the ,  seed- 
lings would  damp  off.  Here  we  have  the  same  danger ;  for  in 
a  well-watered,  closely  shut  frame  the  disease  may  suddenly 
strike  in.  Even  if  this  does  not  happen,  the  plants  may 
grow  soft  and  weak  in  a  moist  and  hot  atmosphere.  So 
ventilation  must  be  carefully  attended  to,  so  that  the  air 
shall  be  not  too  moist  and  not  too  hot.  Yet  another  danger 
lies  in  wait,  for  the  air  must  not  get  too  cold. 

And  here  the  only  remedy  is  to  study  how  to  let  in  just 
the  right  quantity  of  air.  But  since  this  depends  not  only 
on  the  temperature  of  the  outer  air,  but  also  on  the  speed  and 
direction  of  the  wind,  you  must  really  learn  to  be  weatherwise. 
You  must  learn  not  only  how  cold  the  day  is  when  you  first 
go  out  of  doors  in  the  morning,  but  also  how  warm  it  is  likely 
to  become  by  noon.  You  should  know  not  only  how  the 
wind  is  blowing  at  night,  but  also  how  it  is  likely  to  be  blow- 
ing in  the  morning. 

Are  you  ready  to  begin  the  study  now?  Do  you  know, 
for  instance,  the  points  of  the  compass  in  reference  to  your 
home  and  the  schoolhouse  ?  Do  you  know  which  winds  in 
your  locality  bring  rain,  and  which  bring  warm  weather? 
Do  you  know  the  "feel"  of  the  air  when  a  frost  is  coming? 
Can  you  read  the  barometer,  with  any  idea  as  to  what  its 
changes  mean  ?  If  you  can  do  all  these,  then  you  are  well 
prepared  for  this  work.  If  you  cannot,  then  you  should 
master  the  signs  as  soon  as  you  can,  not  only  for  gardening, 
but  also  to  be  more  in  touch  with  the  world  in  which  you 
live.  The  aspects  of  nature  mean  much  for  our  comfort, 
of  course,  but  are  more  important  for  their  revelation  of  the 
wonders  and  the  beauties  of  this  world. 

If  you  can  cultivate  the  instinct  for  reading  the  signs  of  the 


158  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

weather,  so  much  the  better.  At  any  rate  a  glimpse  of  the 
weather  report  in  the  morning's  paper  will  do  something. 
Press  into  service  all  the  knowledge  that  you  have,  ask  the 
opinion  of  the  folk  whom  you  know  to  be  weatherwise,  and 
make  it  all  serve  the  purpose  of  bringing  your  hot-bed  through 
the  difficult  weeks  when  a  heavy  freeze  or  a  snowstorm,  or, 
what  is  almost  as  bad,  a  sudden  warm  spell,  make  the  prob- 
lem serious. 

Your  study  must  be  to  keep  the  air  fresh  but  warm,  with 
not  too  strong  drafts  over  the  plants.  A  strong  wind, 
even  though  it  may  be  a  warm  one,  buffets  the  little  plants 
severely,  besides  drying  out  the  soil.  Air  should  be  admitted, 
then,  in  back-drafts,  rather  than  in  direct  ones,  whenever 
the  wind  is  really  noticeable,  by  lifting  the  side  of  the  sash 
away  from  the  wind.  You  must  decide,  then,  how  strong  the 
wind  is  or  is  likely  to  become  before  you  return  to  the  frames, 
and  at  the  same  time  how  warm  the  day  will  prove.  If  your 
judgment  is  good,  a  very  little  labor  will  serve  to  ventilate 
the  frames. 

A  thermometer  hung  in  each  frame  is  a  great  help  in  this 
work.  Aim  to  keep  the  temperature  between  seventy  and 
eighty  degrees  by  day,  and  above  fifty-five  degrees  at 
night. 

If  you  are  so  fortunate  that  you  can  visit  the  frames 
whenever  you  desire,  you  will  find  that  four  times  a  day  will 
be  enough.  Go  before  breakfast,  as  soon  as  you  are  dressed 
—  the  sun  will  probably  have  been  before  you  for  an  hour 
or  more,  and  unless  you  have  the  double-glass  sash,  your 
plants,  if  covered  for  freezing  weather,  will  have  lost  just  so 
much  of  his  light.  Take  off  the  mats  and  shutters,  and  open 
up  the  frames  a  little,  if  the  frost  is  now  leaving  the  air.  Go 
again  at  ten  o'clock,  and  open  still  wider.  The  wind  will  be 
blowing  stronger  now ;  therefore  arrange  the  sash  to  protect 


THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  FRAMES  159 

the  plants  from  it.  Go  again  soon  after  three,  and  close  the 
sash  somewhat.  And  visit  the  frames  at  sunset,  closing  the 
frames  for  the  night,  putting  on  the  mats  and  shutters  if 
necessary. 

If  you  cannot, make  these  four  visits  at  just  these  intervals, 
make  your  second  visit  just  before  school,  and  your  third 
just  as  soon  as  you  return.  And  if  you  are  so  busy  that  you 
can  go  but  twice,  go  an  hour  after  sunrise  and  at  sunset. 
When  you  go  but  twice,  you  are  taking  something  of  a  risk. 
For  when  before  breakfast  you  have  to  decide  what  the 
weather  is  to, be,  you  will  sometimes  find  the  question  puz- 
zling ;  and  you  may  be  doubtful,  when  you  leave  the  frames, 
whether  they  ought  not  to  be  a  little  wider  open,  or  a  little 
more  nearly  shut.  I  have  often  worried,  when  the  day  turned 
unexpectedly  warm  or  cold,  as  to  how  the  change  was  affecting 
a  frameful  of  plants  which  I  had  been  carefully  tending  for 
weeks/  The  hot  sun  might  scorch  them  through  the  glass, 
or  the  cold  wind  might  chill  them.  In  such  cases  the  plants 
must  shift  for  themselves,  until  the  gardener  returns  eagerly 
to  the  rescue. 

It  will  be  something  of  a  help  if  you  have  your  hardy  and 
tender  plants  in  different  frames,  or  under  different  sash  in 
the  same  frame,  separated  by  a  partition  set  under  a  rafter. 
You  can  then  treat  the  two  kinds  of  plants  differently,  giving 
the  hardy  plants  more  fresh  air. 

And  now,  how  to  give  this  air  ?  Frames  can  be  opened  in 
different  ways,  chiefly  by  sliding  the  sash  up  or  down,  by  lift- 
ing the  sash  at  the  back  or  front,  and  by  lifting  at  the  side. 
If  lifted,  they  are  kept  in  position  by  some  sort  of  prop,  best  a 
triangular  piece  of  wood,  or  a  piece  made  in  steps,  so  that  the 
sash  may  be  left  at  any  height  one  chooses.  If  lifted,  raise 
the  side  away  from  the  wind,  so  that  it  does  not  blow  directly 
on  the  plants.  Open  but  a  little  at  first ;  but  as  the  plants 


160  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

grow  bigger  and  the  weather  milder,  open  wider,  until  by  day 
you  can  take  the  sash  entirely  off. 

At  night  you  must  make  the  best  guess  you  can  as  to  the 
temperature.  Beginning  in  February,  you  may  be  sure  that 
you  will  need  both  mats  and  shutters  every  night  for  some 
weeks.  But  as  the  nights  grow  milder  you  can  first  leave  the 
shutters  off,  except  on  nights  when  you  feel  sure  that  the 
wind  will  blow  off  the  mats  if  they  are  not  held  down.  Later, 
however,  will  come  the  time  when  if  there  is  a  wind  you  may 

be  sure  that  there  will  be  no 
heavy  frost,  so  that  not  even  mats 
will  be  needed,  if  only  the  sash  are 
shut.  Sash  alone  will  shut  out  an 
ordinary  light  frost,  if  the  plants 
are  not  touching  the  glass.  Leaves 
that  touch  the  glass  will  be  nipped 
by  a  late  frost,  unless  the  mats 
are  on. 

As  the  season   passes  on,   and 
FIG.  83.  —  One  way  of  ventilat-    your  plants  grow  with  the  spring, 

ing  the  frames.  . 

they  may  grow  too  last  and  too 

soft  if  the  hot-bed  still  remains  hot.  This  is  the  time  when 
the  greenhouseman  allows  his  fires  to  burn  low.  Luckily  for 
us,  about  this  time  the  heat  of  the  manure  dies  down,  so  that 
by  the  time  frosts  cease,  and  the  chill  is  leaving  the  open 
ground,  our  frames  are  no  longer  hot-beds,  but  of  their  own 
accord  have  become  cold-frames. 

(And  when  we  take  down  our  frames,  by  the  way,  and  take 
up  the  sub-frame  to  store  for  another  year,  we  shall  find  the 
manure  all  ready  to  use  in  the  garden  for  plant-food.) 

Cold-frames,  if  we  should  now  start  them,  are  managed 
much  the  same  as  hot-beds,  although  through  a  shorter 
season.  They  must  be  ventilated  as  the  other  frames  are, 


THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  FRAMES 


161 


and  covered  at  night  in  the  same  way.  If  we  use  them  alone, 
they  will  bring  on  our  young  plants  two  or  three  weeks  ahead 
of  the  ordinary  sea- 
son. If  we  use 
them  with  hot-beds, 
we  can  transplant 
into  them,  by  way 
of  making  our 
plants  hardy ;  or 
we  can  start  in 
them  a  second  crop 
of  the  plants  that 
we  need  the  most. 

At  any  rate,  our 
frames,  whatever 
kind  we  use,  will,  if 
only  we  use  them 
right,  give  us  strong 
plants  early.  We 
can  transplant  from 
them,  or  we  can 
leave  some  of  the 
plants  to  mature 
there.  Radishes 
and  lettuce  can 
grow  in  the  frames 
until  picked.  Tomatoes,  asters,  and  carnations  can  remain 
after  the  frames  are  stored,  and  will  give  fruit  or  flowers 
before  midsummer. 

We  can  even  use  cold-frames  with  perennials,  such  as 
rhubarb,  asparagus,  strawberries,  violets,  peonies,  or  bulbs. 
We  cannot  put  the  hot  manure  under  them,  of  course ;  but 
by  the  aid  of  glass  we  can  get  our  flowers  or  vegetables  weeks 
ahead  of  the  season. 

M 


FIG.  84.  —  Hardening-off  cucumbers,  melons,  and 
marrows.   Strawberry  boxes  are  better  than  pots. 


162 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  FRAMES  163 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  How  much  manure  do  you  need  for  your  hot-bed  ?    How  can 
you  make  sure  that  the  manure  is  good  ? 

2.  Explain  how  you  intend  to  handle  the  manure.    When  will 
it  be  safe  to  plant  ? 

3.  How  and  what  will  you  plant  ? 

4.  How  will  you  ventilate  ?    At  what  hours  ? 

5.  Why  would  it  be  well  to  have  your  hardy  and  tender  plants 
separated  ? 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
OTHER  PLANT  PROTECTORS 

THE  beginner  in  gardening  often  feels  that  cold-frames  or 
hot-beds  are  too  much  for  him  to  handle.  To  begin  with, 
they  cost  a  good  deal,  especially  the  hot-bed,  with  its  sub- 
frame,  top-frame,  sash,  mats,  and  shutters.  And  again  they 
are  heavy.  Even  a  junior  sash  might,  in  a  wind,  tax  the 
strength  of  a  very  young  person. 

But  these  are  no  reasons  for  giving  up  frames  entirely. 
They  help  so  much  that  if  we  can  use  them,  we  should.  I  pro- 
pose to  explain  how  we  can  make  a  beginning  in  the  use  of 
frames,  even  if  we  have  but  a  single  one  big  enough  for  only  a 
single  plant.  And  at  the  same  time  I  shall  suggest  a  sub- 
stitute for  glass. 

Over  in  France  (where  there  are,  I  suppose,  the  best  gar- 
deners in  the  world,  raising  wonderful  vegetables  on  small 
patches  of  ground,  of  which  they  use  every  corner,  even  to  the 
flat  roofs  of  the  houses),  they  use  individual  covers  for  sepa- 
rate plants.  Bell-glasses  are  found  to  be  the  best :  big 
tongueless  bells  of  glass  which  can  be  placed  over  the  heads  of 
lettuce,  or  of  young  cauliflowers,  to  protect  them  at  night  or 
on  cold  days.  Nobody  uses  them  here ;  at  least  they  are  not 
on  sale  in  America.  But  we  can  use  some  kind  of  substitute. 

Nothing  is  so  good  as  glass,  which  lets  in  light  on  all  sides. 
But  glass  is  expensive,  heavy,  and  brittle.  We  can  instead 
use  boxes,  of  which  the  top  and  bottom  have  been  knocked 
off.  Tiny  frames  these  are,  and  for  sash  we  can  use  single 

164 


OTHER  PLANT  PROTECTORS 


165 


panes  of  glass,  either  sliding  in  grooves,  or  laid  on  and  held 
in  place  by  a  stone  or  a  little  earth.  If  we  can  so  trim  the 
box,  or  will  so  place  it,  that  the  top  slants  (set  it  slanting 
toward  the  south  !)  then  the  sun  will  get  at  the  plant  better. 

If  you  wish  to  use  a  box  as  large  as  a  soap-box,  then  you 
cannot  wisely  use  single  panes  of  glass.  They  break  too 
easily,  and  cost  too 
much.  Make  then  a 
simple  sash,  of  the 
proper  size,  to  hold 
the  small  panes. 
'  Such  small  frames 
as  these,  varying  from 
one  to  two  feet  square, 
can  be  bought  of  the 
makers  of  cold-frames. 
Convenient  oblong 
frames,  about  three 

feet  by  one,  can  also  be  bought  (or  made)  and  either  used 
singly  or  made  to  cover  a  whole  row  of  plants. 

In  such  small  frames  as  these,  plants  can  either  be  set  or 
sdwed.  Inside  a  box  a  foot  square  an  aster  or  a  lettuce  plant 
can  be  coaxed  along  ahead  of  its  brothers  until  it  is  big  enough 
to  flower,  or  to  be  eaten,  a  couple  of  weeks  ahead  of  them. 

And  now  to  the  substitute  for  glass.  To  keep  out  the  cold 
and  to  let  in  the  sun,  we  can  use  common  cheesecloth.  For 
our  cold-frame,  instead  of  our  big  sash,  three  feet  by  six, 
holding  a  good  many  panes  of  glass,  heavy  in  consequence, 
and  fairly  expensive,  we  can  use  a  rather  flimsy  frame  of  the 
same  size,  over  which  cheesecloth  is  tightly  tacked.  To  keep 
the  cloth  from  sagging,  there  should  be  at  least  one  brace 
across  the  middle  of  the  frame.  Any  boy  or  girl  who  is  clever 
with  tools  can  make  such  a  frame  as  this,  and  even  if  all  the 


FIG.  86.  —  A  home-made  plant  shelter. 
Grooves  at  the  top  allow  the  glass  to  slide, 
for  ventilation. 


166  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

materials  have  to  be  bought,  the  expense  is  very  light.  If 
boxes  are  used,  the  cheesecloth  is  simply  tacked  across  the 
open  top. 

Cheesecloth  frames,  if  we  make  them,  can  scarcely  be 
used  for  hot-beds.  The  cloth  is  not  so  good  as  glass  for 
keeping  out  the  cold  or  letting  in  the  sun;  and  in  time  of 


FIG.  87.  —  This  small  frame,  with  cheesecloth  tacked 
over  it,  is  excellent  for  forcing  melons  or  protecting  cab- 
bage from  the  maggot-fly. 

heavy  frosts  glass  is  far  the  best.  But  after  frosts  have  gone 
it  is  surprising  how  effective  cheesecloth  is. 

Indeed,  at  this  time  of  year  cheesecloth  is  in  some  ways 
better  than  glass.  To  begin  with,  the  cloth  lets  the  air 
through,  so  that  the  frames  can  be  left  without  ventilation 
at  all.  Even  in  a  hot  spell  the  cloth  tempers  the  sun  so  that 
the  plants  are  not  burned.  Again,  the  cloth  keeps  out  insects 
that  may  do  harm,  while  on  the  other  hand  it  lets  the  rain 
strike  gently  in. 

Thus  in  the  Connecticut  valley  is  grown  some  of  the  best 


OTHER  PLANT  PROTECTORS  167 

tobacco  in  the  world,  and  all  because  of  vast  cheesecloth 
covers,  higher  than  a  man's  head,  stretched  over  whole  fields. 
The  moist  air  inside  the  frames  is  like  that  of  Cuba.  And  so 
squashes  and  melons  in  the  vegetable  garden,  if  kept  under 
little  cheesecloth  frames,  easily  made  out  of  a  soap-box  or  a 
peach-crate,  will  grow  far  better  than  others  which  have  no 
protection.  Cabbage  and  cauliflower,  in  regions  where  the 
maggot  is  abundant,  will  succeed  under  cheesecloth  when 
they  will  fail  under  glass.  This  is  because  when  the  glass  is 
raised  the  maggot-fly  can  get  at  the  plants  to  lay  its  eggs, 
while  under  cheesecloth  the  plants  are  safe. 

Therefore  if  you  have  no  glass,  try  cheesecloth  instead. 
Use  both  if  you  can,  but  do  not  do  without  one  or  the  other. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  How  can  boxes  be  used  for  protecting  plants  out  of  doors? 

2.  What  is  the  best  substitute  for  glass  over  a  frame  ? 

3.  Can  this  substitute  be  used  for  a  hot-bed  ? 

4.  In  what  way  is  it  sometimes  even  better  than  glass  ? 

GENERAL  REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  do  you  consider  the  best  method  of  starting  seeds  in- 
doors ? 

2.  What  plant  family  suffers  if  it  is  transplanted  ?    How  do  you 
treat  it  ? 

3.  Describe  the  best    flats  you  have  seen.     How  were    they 
drained?     Suggest  improvements. 

4.  Why  is  it  well  to  sow  seeds  in  sand  ? 

5.  What  is  damping  oft7?     Did  it  happen  to  your  plants?     Can 
you  tell  why  ? 

6.  What  pots  did  you  use  for  your  seedlings  ? 

7.  What  success  did  you  have  with  your  hot-bed  ?    Would  you. 
handle  it  differently  next  year  ?    Would  you  place  it  elsewhere  ? 

8.  What  is  the  use  of  cheesecloth  in  gardening  ? 


SECTION  IV 
THE  REAL  GARDEN 

CHAPTER  XXIV 

STARTING  THE  OLD  GARDEN 

IF  one  has  an  old  garden,  which  other  members  of  the  fam- 
ily have  worked  in  previous  years,  or  if  one  even  has  a  garden 
which  was  dug  last  fall,  so  that  the  frost  has  been  mellowing 
the  ground  all  winter,  then  the  work  of  beginning  the  outdoor 
garden  year  is  not  very  difficult. 

The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  watch  until  the  frost  is  out  of  the 
ground.  From  time  to  time  we  test  the  soil  with  a  fork,  or 
with  a  crowbar.  As  the  days  pass  and  the  sun  grows  stronger, 
the  tool  will  go  deeper  and  deeper,  until  at  length  the  time 
arrives  when  the  fork  can  be  thrust  into  the  ground  to  the  full 
depth  of  its  tines.  Then  the  real  work  of  the  garden  is  almost 
upon  us. 

It  is  not  wise,  however,  to  dig  the  garden  until  by  a  few 
experiments  we  make  sure  that  the  ground  is  dry  enough  to 
be  worked.  Wet  or  clayey  soil  will  lump  or  puddle  unless 
we  wait  until  it  is  sufficiently  dry  to  crumble  when  lifted  with 
the  fork. 

But  when  the  time  comes,  then  all  the  open  garden  may  be 
dug.  First  the  bare  ground  is  spaded ;  it  will  be  ready  first. 
Spade  next  the  ground  which  last  fall  was  in  sod.  Get  out  all 
the  living  roots  of  witch-grass  or  perennial  weeds  such  as 
sorrel.  The  frost  has  killed  many  of  them ;  be  sure  you  get 
the  rest.  Finally  spade  in  the  cover-crops,  taking  care  to 

168 


STARTING   THE  OLD   GARDEN  169 

cover  them  deep,  so  that  they  will  not  interfere  with  the 
work  of  planting.  If  you  do  not  understand  how  to  do  this 
work,  study  the  chapter  on  Preparing  the  Soil.  And  if  you 
can  afford  to  dig  in  manure,  do  it  everywhere  except  where 
the  potatoes  and,  the  peas  and  beans  are  to  go.1 

This  work  is  to  be  done  everywhere  in  the  garden,  whether 


FIG.  88.  —  It  always  needs  careful  study  of  the  season  to  know  when  to 
remove  the  cover  from  pansies  and  other  mulched  plants  in  spring. 

in  the  vegetable  garden  or  the  flower  beds,  where  there  are 
no  plants.  It  is  easiest  in  the  bare  ground,  where  the  spade 
goes  in  easily.  But  the  work  cannot  be  done  at  once  where 
there  are  mulched  plants  that  have  lived  through  the  winter. 
Under  their  mulch  the  frost  still  lingers  after  it  has  left  the 

1  Find  in  this  book  why  potatoes  should  be  given  no  fresh  manure,  and 
peas  and  beans  (or  all  legumes)  none  at  all.  Write  the  answer  in  your  note- 
book. 


170  THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 

open  ground.  It  always  needs  careful  study  to  decide  when 
to  remove  this  mulch.  For  since  late  frosts  may  come  and 
injure  the  young  shoots,  if  they  start  too  early,  the  mulch 
should  be  used  to  keep  the  plants  from  starting.  Yet  when 
the  frost  has  left  the  ground  around  these  plants,  and  they 
really  do  begin  to  grow,  then  they  are  weakened  if  they  have 
to  struggle  through  the  mulch.  Watch,  therefore,  daily,  the 
mulched  spinach  or  strawberries  or  peonies  or  foxgloves, 
and  when  they  really  begin  to  sprout  draw  away  the  mulch 
from  the  crowns.  It  may  be  left  lying  near  for  a  while,  in 
order  to  cover  the  beds  again  if  a  frosty  night  comes.  But 
when  frosts  are  really  gone,  the  mulch  should  be  entirely 
removed. 

If  the  mulch  was  manure,  it  can  be  dug  into  the  ground, 
taking  pains  not  to  injure  the  roots  of  the  plants,  nor  to 
loosen  them  in  the  ground.  Rotted  leaves  can  be  treated 
similarly.  But  very  coarse  stuff,  such  as  straw  or  corn- 
stalks, should  be  carried  to  the  compost  heap. 

The  work  of  beginning  the  year  with  an  old  garden  is  thus 
very  simple.  But  if  the  garden  must  be  made  for  the  first 
time  the  difficulty  is  much  greater,  since  even  the  place  where 
it  is  to  be  is  not  yet  chosen. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  How  can  we  know  when  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground  ? 

2.  Can  we  at  once  sow  seed?     What  comes  before  sowing  the 
seed  ?    What  must  we  wait  for  first  of  all  ?    Are  different  soils 
different  in  this  particular  ? 

3.  Why  should  we  not  take  the  mulch  off  the  flower  beds  early  ? 
Why  not  leave  it  very  late  ?    When  do  you  mean  to  take  yours  off  ? 
Why  can  it  not  come  off  on  the  same  date  each  year  ? 


CHAPTER  XXV 
THE  GARDEN  SITE 

IF  you  know  of  any  successful  gardens  in  your  town,  it  will 
be  worth  your  while  to  study  their  position.  Do  the  same 
with  the  school  garden.  Of  each  one  ask  yourself  the  ques- 
tions :  has  it  sun  ?  is  its  location  attractive  ?  At  the  same 
time  ask  yourself :  which  of  these  two  factors  is  the  more 
important?  Again,  which  is  more  important  to  the  plants, 
and  which  more  important  to  you? 

With  a  vegetable  garden  there  can  be  no  question.  The 
greatest  beauties  of  such  a  garden  are  neatness,  regularity, 
and  a  vigorous  growth  of  the  plants.  Neatness  and  regular- 
ity can  be  secured  anywhere ;  but  plant  growth  depends  so 
largely  upon  the  sun  that  the  vegetable  garden  should 
always,  when  possible,  be  entirely  free  from  shade. 

With  the  home  flower  garden  the  problem  is  different.  Some 
flowers  —  for  example,  the  lily-of-t he- valley  —  do  best  when 
they  have  shade  for  a  part  of  the  day.  Others,  like  the  pansy, 
seem  to  do  as  well  in  partial  shade  as  in  full  sun.  Again,  the 
flower  garden  looks  better  when  set  against  some  background, 
such  as  trees  or  shrubs,  which  cast  a  shade.  And,  finally,  I 
am  a  little  inclined  to  think  that  flower  gardeners  themselves 
like  a  little  shade  now  and  then  better  than  do  vegetable 
gardeners.  I  do  not  know  whether  the  fact  that  growing 
vegetables  means  working  for  profit,  while  growing  flowers 
means  working  for  pleasure,  makes  this  difference;  yet  in 

171 


172 


TEE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


many  cases  the  difference  is  plain.     The  flower  garden,  then, 
may  appropriately  have  a  little  shade. 

A  windbreak  is  of  value  to  a  garden,  to  keep  it  warm  and 
sheltered,  and  to  prevent  the  winds  from  continually  drying 

it  out.  If  we  have 
jio  windbreak,  we 
should  grow  one. 
Evergreens  (hemlock 
or  spruce)  are  best 
for  the  purpose. 
Plant  them  where 
they  will  check  the 
strongest  winds 
without  cutting  off 
the  sun.  And  if  the 
garden  is  to  last  for 
but  a  year,  we  can 
grow  a  windbreak 
out  of  quick-growing 
annual  plants,  such 
as  sunflowers  or 
Jerusalem  artichokes. 
But  there  are  other 
matters  to  consider. 
In  the  next  place 
the  wise  gardener 
considers  the  con- 
venience of  his  gar- 
den. It  should  be  as  near  the  house  as  possible,  to  save 
steps.  It  should  be  close  to  the  water  supply.  It  is  all 
very  well  if  one  can  run  a  pipe  to  the  garden ;  but  usually 
we  have  to  content  ourselves  without.  So  we  want  to  be 
as  near  as  possible  to  the  faucet  or  the  pump.  In  choosing 


FIG.  89.  —  The  child,  the  yardstick,  and 
the  Jerusalem  artichoke.  A  summer  wind- 
break, grown  in  one  season. 


THE  GARDEN  SITE  173 

between  two  sites,  then,  remember  that  the  nearer  one  may 
make  it  possible  to  spend  a  few  more  minutes  there  each  day, 
or  to  carry  there  the  few  more  gallons  that  will  help  the  newly 
transplanted  seedlings  to  grow  vigorously. 

It  may  so  happen  that  we  have  not  a  true  southerly 
exposure,  but  must  choose  between  a  southeasterly  and  a 
southwesterly.  The  easterly  is  better  for  two  reasons. 
The  morning  sun  is  better  for  the  plants,  since  it  begins 
gently,  and  dries  the  dew  before  the  plants  can  burn.  But 
the  westerly  garden  first  gets  the  sun  when  it  is  high  and 
hot,  yet  often  while  the  dew  is  still  on  the  leaves.  We 
learned  in  window  gardening  that  the  hot  sun  will  scorch 
wet  leaves,  and  we  are  sure  to  find  this  true  in  the  garden. 
Our  second  reason  for  preferring  the  easterly  exposure  is 
that  the  east  winds  are  warmer  and  gentler  than  the  west. 
Easterly  gardens  are  therefore  earlier  than  westerly  ones; 
yet  because  the  southerly  garden  gets  on  the  whole  more 
hours  of  sunshine,  it  is  the  best  of  all. 

Another  consideration  is  not  to  be  forgotten.  A  garden 
in  a  hollow  gets  the  earliest  and  the  latest  frosts.  On  the  hill 
top  it  may  get  biting  winds,  but  in  the  valley  it  will  get  the 
killing  cold.  Unless  you  cannot  help  it,  therefore,  do  not 
put  the  garden  in  a  hollow. 

But  we  have  said  nothing  of  soil,  which  is  extremely  im- 
portant. And  here  we  may  be  puzzled,  for  the  frosty  valley 
in  the  hollow  will  doubtless  have  the  deepest  loam,  the  wash 
of  the  hillside  for  many  years.  Tested  for  sourness,  however, 
with  a  bit  of  litmus  paper,  the  reddening  of  the  blue  slip 
may  show  the  soil  to  be  more  sour  than  the  soil  higher  up. 
Or  if  we  dig  and  with  some  of  the  earth  in  our  hands  try  to 
see  if  it  is  ideal  garden  soil,  dark  colored,  but  light  in  texture 
and  falling  easily  apart,  we  may  find  it  clayey  and  sticky. 

Again,  dig  deeper  still,  and  below  the  loam  find  the  sub- 


174  THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 

soil.  Since  we  do  not  want  the  garden  to  be  soggy,  we  shall 
be  disappointed  if  below  the  loam  we  find  clay  or  hardpan, 
which  will  not  let  the  water  drain  away,  and  which  will 
keep  the  roots  from  striking  deep.  We  want,  if  we  can  get  it, 
a  sandy  or  a  gravelly  subsoil,  which  will  not  let  the  water 
stand  near  the  surface,  but  will  drain  it  away,  letting  in  air 
at  the  roots  of  the  plants. 

With  all  these  various  considerations,  we  shall  find  it 
hard  to  choose  where  our  garden  shall  be.  One  site  may  seem 
best  for  some  reasons ;  another  will  be  better  for  others. 
What  we  must  do  is  to  balance  the  advantages  and  disad- 
vantages as  best  we  can,  and  decide  on  the  place  which, 
all  in  all,  seems  the  best. 

One  thought  may  comfort  us  if  it  happens  that  we  must  put 
the  garden  where  all  the  rules  say  no  garden  should  be. 
The  position  may  be  frosty  and  shady,  the  soil  may  be 
clayey  and  sour,  the  exposure  may  even  be  toward  the  north, 
which  is  the  worst  of  all.  Let  us  remember  that  every  spot 
will  grow  some  plants  well,  and  many  plants  pretty  well. 
Doing  our  best  with  what  we  have,  we  should  be  able  to 
achieve  something  quite  worth  while. 

But  better  still,  we  can  ourselves  improve  the  conditions 
under  which  we  must  work.  We  cannot  change  the  exposure; 
but  perhaps  we  can  cut  away  the  tree,  or  the  bough,  that 
makes  too  much  shade.  We  cannot  change  the  frosts,  but 
we  can  be  ready  to  protect  the  plants  against  them.  And 
we  can  make  the  soil  almost  entirely  over.  We  can  break 
up  the  hard  subsoil,  and  drain  the  extra  water  away.  We 
can  put  sand  and  manure  and  lime  into  the  cold,  heavy, 
sour  soil,  and  make  it  warm,  quick,  and  sweet. 

There  is  no  reason  to  be  discouraged,  therefore,  with  the 
site  that  we  must  choose.  Let  us  watch  it  carefully  for  a 
week  or  so,  study  the  shadows  and  the  compass,  and  find  the 
best  corner  that  we  can.  Then  let  us  study  how  to  improve  it. 


THE  GARDEN   SITE  175 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Where  will  you  place  your  garden?     Why  not  nearer  the 
house?    Why  not  farther  away? 

2.  Is  your  garden  likely  to  be  frosty  ?    Why  ? 

3.  What  soil  have  you?    What  is  its  defect?    How  can  you 
improve  it? 

4.  What  exposure  have  you  ?    Have  you  a  windbreak  ? 

5.  Describe  the  garden  site  as  you  would  like  to  have  it.    Are 
you  discouraged  in  not  having  it  so  ? 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

PLANNING  THE  GARDEN 

PLANNING  the  garden  is  good  winter  work.  At  any  rate, 
it  ought  not  to  be  left  till  planting  time.  If  only  we  know 
how  much  ground  we  are  willing  to  cultivate,  and  have 
studied  where  our  loam  is  heaviest  and  lightest,  so  that  we 
can  suit  the  plants  to  the  soil,  we  can  save  much  hasty  work 
later.  Having  measured  our  garden  exactly,  we  take  our 
pencil  and  paper,  and  draw  a  plan  to  scale. 

Drawing  to  scale  means  that  the  proportions  of  the  garden 
on  paper  are  exactly  the  same  as  in  the  field.  An  inch,  or  a 
half  inch,  or  a  sixteenth  of  an  inch  will  represent  a  foot. 
The  best  means  for  making  such  a  plan  is  a  sheet  of  paper 
ruled  in  small  squares,  such  as  you  can  buy  at  the  stationer's. 
With  this  you  save  much  puzzling  and  measuring,  if  only 
you  let  one  side  of  a  square  represent  a  foot  or  some  such 
definite  distance. 

Next  we  need  to  make  a  list  of  the  plants  that  we  shall 
have.  They  may  be  flowers,  or  vegetables,  or  both ;  but 
with  the  list  in  hand  we  must  make  sure  that  we  understand 
the  needs  of  each  one.  Plants  classify  according  to  their 
needs.  We  have  already  begun  to  take  advantage  of  this 
classification  by  growing  in  frames  the  plants  that  will  not 
stand  frost,  or  that  will  transplant  easily,  or  that  it  will  pay 
to  transplant.  We  need  now  to  study  the  sizes  of  plants 
and  the  room  they  need,  with  the  length  of  time  that  they 

176 


PLANNING    THE  GARDEN 


177 


will  occupy  the  ground.  As  soon  as  we  know  this  we  can 
tell  where  we  wish  to  put  them,  if  we  understand  the  follow- 
ing. 

Short-season  plants  should  have  the  "earliest"  soil. 

Each  plant  should  be  given  all  the  room  it  needs. 

Plants  should  be  placed  so  as  not  to  shade  each  other. 

Short-season  plants  may  be  planted  close  to  long-season 
plants  if  .they  are  so  spaced  that  the 
earlier  are  out  of  the  way  before  the 
later  need  the   room.      This  is   called 
"  companion  cropping." 

Short-season  plants  may  be  followed 
in  the  same  ground  by  short-season 
plants  or  by  transplantings  of  long- 
season  plants.  This  is  called  "  succes- 
sion cropping." 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  much  of  this 
applies  only  to  vegetables.  Flowering 
plants  are  often  crowded,  or  " massed," 
for  the  sake  of  the  many  blossoms. 
And  except  bulbs,  which  stay  in  the 
ground  until  midsummer,  there  are 
no  flowering  plants  which,  like  rad- 
ishes and  lettuce  among  the  vegetables, 
are  dug  up  early.  But  with  a  gardener  who  knows  the  habit 
of  plants,  even  flowers  may  be  made  to  yield  a  good  show 
in  a  small  space  by  a  kind  of  companion  and  succession 
cropping,  if  only  he  is  willing  to  pull  out  his  plants  when  they 
are  past  their  best  bloom.  Let  me  now  say  a  few  words 
about  the  kinds  of  gardens  separately. 

Flower  gardens  are  commonly  in  two  forms,  beds  and 
borders.  A  bed  is  a  space  of  open  ground;  it  is  likely 
to  be  much  like  a  vegetable  garden  — that  is,  stiff  and  precise. 


FIG.  90.  —  This  shows 
the  best  method  of  plan- 
ning flower  beds.  They 
look  best  as  borders. 


178  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  EOOK 

Better,  to  my  mind,  is  a  border,  which  is  explained  by  its 
name,  being  an  edging  of  flowers  along  a  wall,  a  shrubbery, 
or  the  house.  Indeed,  I  advise  making  a  flower  bed  into  a 
border  by  putting  shrubs  to  the  north  of  it,  or  behind  it. 
If  the  flower  garden  must  stand  by  itself,  surround  it  with 
shrubbery,  walling  it  off  from  the  rest  of  the  place.  Then 
make  the  garden  a  border  with  a  wavy  edge  all  around  the 
inside.  The  center  will  be  grass,  or  will  have  grass  paths, 
and  the  whole  garden  becomes  sheltered  and  homelike. 

The  planting  of  such  a  garden  must  be  determined  largely 
by  its  shape  and  the  amount  of  shade.  Shade-loving  and 
sun-loving  plants  will  have  their  places  naturally  marked  out 
for  them ;  but  besides  this,  the  lower  plants  should  naturally 
stand  at  the  edges,  the  taller  ones  farther  back.  Thus  a  free- 
standing bed  will  have  the  plants  rising  gradually  from  the 
edges,  till  the  middle  of  the  bed  will  hold  the  tallest.  A 
border  will  have  its  flowers  graded  upward  from  the  edges 
to  meet  the  line  of  the  shrubs. 

It  is  a  good  deal  of  a  question  whether  to  set  flowers  in 
lines  or  in  groups.  Lines  are  simplest  to  plan,  and  easiest 
to  care  for.  Yet  a  set  of  lines,  all  exactly  alike,  and  running 
parallel,  looks  very  stiff.  Their  color  at  least  ought  to  be 
broken.  While  it  is  quite  proper  to  have  the  edge  marked 
with  a  line  of  one  kind  of  low  plants,  inside  this  the  plants 
may  probably  best  be  arranged  with  plants  in  groups,  ac- 
cording to  sizes  and  colors.  Do  not  forget  that  both  size 
and  color  are  important  in  plant-neighbors,  and  train  your 
eye,  by  constant  study  of  the  gardens  that  you  see,  to  find 
pleasing  combinations  or  contrasts.  This  is  not  natural 
to  boys;  yet  there  are  few  more  pleasant  or  satisfactory 
accomplishments,  not  merely  in  gardening  but  in  the  whole 
arrangement  of  things  about  us,  than  the  ability  to  plan 
modest  and  fine  color  groups. 


PLANNING   THE  GARDEN 


179 


In  the  planting  list  will  be  found  more  than  I  can  here 
say  about  the  different  flowers,  but  I  wish  to  speak  briefly 


about    those    which    are 
in  a  beginner's  flower  gar- 

For  borders  or  edgings, 
alyssum,  candytuft, 
dwarf  nasturtiums, 
blooming,     once 
ting  off  every  faded 
flowar.       Sow 
them  where  they 
are  to  stand. 

To  grow 
in  clumps 


easiest   and    best  to  grow 

den. 

the  best  annuals  are  sweet 

Drummond  phlox,  and  the 

All   of  these  can  be   kept 

they  have   begun,  by  cut- 


FIG.   91.  —  A   border    along    a   fence.     The    taller 
plants  are  behind. 


are  .the  following,  given  in  order  according  to  their  heights. 
They  all  transplant  easily,  except  the  poppy.  Six  inches : 
pansies  ;  will  make  a  solid  bed  of  color.  One  foot :  calen- 
dula, pink,  mignonette,  dimorpotheca.  Eighteen  inches : 
petunia,  snapdragon,  stock,  zinnia.  Two  feet :  calliopsis 


180 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


(or  coreopsis),  marigold,  salvia.  Three  feet  or  more :  bal- 
sam, centaurea  (corn-flower  or  bachelor's  button),  cosmos, 
sweet  peas,  climbing  nasturtium.  Of  varying  heights,  ac- 
cording to  their  varieties,  are  cosmos  (three  to  five  feet), 


FIG.  92.  —  A  fine  new  low-growing  plant. 

daisy. 


Dimorpotheca,  or  South  African 


poppies  of  many  kinds  (one  to  three  feet),  sunflowers  (three 
to  six  feet),  centaurea  (one  foot  to  forty-two  inches),  asters 
(nine  inches  to  two  feet) . 

"  Of  these  plants  the  hardy  ones  are  alyssum,  calendula, 
candytuft,  centaurea,  marigold,  mignonette,  pansy,  phlox, 
pink,  poppy,  stock,  sweet  peas,  zinnia.  The  half-hardy 
are  aster,  dimorpotheca,  salvia,  snapdragon.  The  tender 
ones  are  balsam,  calliopsis,  cosmos,  nasturtium,  petunia, 
sunflower. 


PLANNING   THE  GARDEN 


181 


This  same  group  of  plants  will  bloom  in  the  following 
months : 

June 

centaurea  petunia  sweet  pea 

pansy  (started  the  previous  summer)  poppy 


poppy  sweet  pea 

salvia  zinnia 

snapdragon 
stock 


pink  stock 

poppy  sunflower 

salvia  sweet  pea 

snapdragon  zinnia 


September 

aster  cosmos  pansy  (started  in  April)  stock 

calendula     dimorpotheca      petunia  sunflower 

calliopsis      marigold  pink  sweet  pea 

centaurea     mignonette         poppy  zinnia 
cockscomb    nasturtium          salvia 

The  colors  of  these  vary  widely ; "  some  of  them,  such  as  asters 
and  sweet  peas,  are  to  be  had  in  almost  all  colors.  Ordinarily  they 
are  as  follows : 


July 

balsam 

cosmos 

nasturtium 

calendula 

dimorpotheca 

pansy 

calliopsis 

marigold 

petunia 

centaurea 

mignonette 

pink 

August 

aster 

cockscomb 

mignonette 

balsam 

cosmos 

nasturtium 

calendula 

dimorpotheca 

pansy 

calliopsis 

marigold 

petunia 

centaurea 

asters,  all  colors 
alyssum,  best  in  white 
balsam,  pinks,  reds,  white 
calendula,  yellows 
calliopsis,    yellow  with   red 

brown 

candytuft,  best  in  white 
centaurea,  best  in  blue 


or 


cockscomb,  brilliant  reds 

cosmos,  pink,  white,  crimson 

dimorpotheca,  orange 

marigold,  yellows 

mignonette,  flowers  in  spikes,  with 
blossoms  of  pale  yellows  and 
reds  (get  the  best  seed) 

nasturtiums,  yellows  and  reds 


182  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

pansy,  most  colors,  very  varied.  salvia,  scarlet 

petunia,    crimson,     pink,    white  snapdragon,  white,  yellow,  the 

(seed  expensive,  but  buy  the         reds 

best)  stock,  white,  yellow,  pink,  red 

Drummond    phlox,    white,     red,  sunflowers,  yellow 

yellow  sweet  peas,  all  colors 

poppy,  yellow,  pink,  red,  white  zinnia,  strong  yellows  and  reds 

This  list  is  chosen  from  among  a  bewildering  number. 
You  will  have  neighbors  who  can  tell  you  of  favorites  which 
are  not  here,  and  which  probably  are  more  difficult  to  grow. 
Yet  for  a  small  garden  even  this  list  is  too  large.  For  such 
a  case  the  following  are  suggested,  as  being  both  easy  to 
grow  and  worth  growing.  For  the  edging,  sweet  alyssum. 
For  the  bed,  summer  cosmos,  marigold,  mignonette,  nastur- 
tium, Shirley  poppy,  sweet  pea,  zinnia.  The  sweet  pea 
gives  very  beautiful  flowers  for  picking,  but  the  plant  is  not 
beautiful.  It  must  be  grown  on  a  trellis  of  some  kind. 
Dwarf  sweet  peas  do  not  always  do  well.  More  lovely  than 
any  in  this  list  is  the  aster,  but  it  needs  care.  The  list,  with 
or  without  the  aster,  will  give  plenty  of  flowers  after  the  end 
of  June,  if  only  the  faded  blossoms  are  daily  picked. 

The  making  of  a  flower-garden  plan  is,  even  at  the  simplest, 
a  rather  difficult  thing.  Success  depends  not  only  upon 
knowledge,  but  also  upon  taste,  which  few  of  us  stop  to 
study.  Therefore  in  planning,  carefully  consider  colors 
and  heights.  If  you  intend  to  buy  your  seeds  of  a  seedsman, 
study  his  catalogue  to  know  what  varieties  you  intend  to 
buy,  and  use  these  in  planning.  The  plan,  as  made  upon  the 
squared  paper,  will  show  the  edgings  and  groups  in  irregular 
outlines.  In  the  centers  of  these  mark  lines  or  dots,  to  show 
where  the  seed  is  to  go.  If  this  is  done  with  care,  the  real 
garden  will  be  like  the  plan. 

A  vegetable  garden  is  an  entirely  different  thing.     It  is 


183 


184  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

stiff  and  square  cornered,  made  for  business  only ;   that  is, 
it  is  planned  to  do  the  work  with  the  least  possible  effort, 


FIG.  94.  —  Asters  are  very  lovely  plants,  but  require  a  little 
more  care  than  common. 

with  the  rows  in  straight  parallel  lines.  It  should  always  be 
in  full  sun  wherever  possible,  and  the  rows  should  run  north 
and  south,  so  that  the  sun  in  the  morning  can  reach  one  side, 


PLANNING   THE  GARDEN 


185 


and  in  the  afternoon  the  other  side,  of  the  plants.    The 
distances  of  the  rows  from  each  other  are  determined  by 


.,.^^..~"  *-•>,**,. 
I 

"" 


FIG.  95.  —  The  stiff  plan  of  a  vegetable  garden,  with  plants  in  rows  ac- 
cording to  height. 

the  height  of  the  plants  or  the  space  they  occupy,  so  that 
they  shall   neither  shade  nor  interfere  with  each  other. 

In  planning  such  a  gar- 
den, taste  is  not  so  im- 
portant as  knowledge. 
For  the  flowers  of  vege- 
t^bles  are  short-lived  or 
not  noticeable,  so  that  a 
good  healthy  green  is  the 
best  color  that  we  can 
work  for.  Therefore 
what  we  need  to  know 
about  vegetables  is  their 
size  and  their  season. 
Then  we  can  plan  prop- 
erly. 

Short-season  vegetables 
are  those  which  are  picked 

SO  early  that  Others  Can  be         FIG.  96.  —  Kohl-rabi  is  a  useful  vege- 

planted  in  the  same  ground    table  which  can  be  Quickly  gr°wn  in  a 

.  small  space. 

and  picked  before  winter. 

They  are  chiefly  radishes,  cress,  lettuce,  spinach,  beets,  peas, 

onions  (grown  from  sets),  dwarf  string  beans,  kohl-rabi,  tur- 


186 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


nips,  endive,  Brussels  sprouts,  and  the  early  varieties  of  corn, 
carrots,  cabbage,  and  cauliflower.  I  have  put  these  pretty 
nearly  in  the  order  in  which  they  will  be  picked.  If  some  of 
them  (lettuce,  cabbage,  cauliflower,  onion)  are  started  in 
frames,  and  transplanted  to  the  garden,  they  will  finish  earlier 
than  if  planted  in  the  open  ground.  Corn  and  beans  are 
usually  spring-sown,  Brussels  sprouts  and  endive  usually 
summer-sown.  The  others  may  be  planted  in  either  spring 
or  fall.  Because  frosts  may  come  early  in  the  fall  is  the  reason 

why  corn  and  beans, 
which  are  tender 
plants,  are  seldom 
sown  in  summer. 
The  rest  are  all  hardy 
plants. 

It  is  worth  noticing 
that,  except  peas  and 
corn,  all  these  plants 
are  small.  Every  one 
of  them  can  be 
planted  in  rows 
eighteen  inches  apart 
or  less,  but  the  tall 

peas  and  dwarf  corn  should  be  twice  as  far  apart.  From 
these  plants  we  go  to  the  longer  season  plants,  some  of 
which  are  likewise  small.  Onions,  grown  from  seed,  late 
carrots,  parsley,  and  salsify  may  also  stand  eighteen  inches 
apart  or  less.  But  all  the  other  late  vegetables  had  better 
be  either  two  feet  apart  (late  cabbage  and  cauliflower,  egg- 
plant, okra,  pepper,  parsnip,  potato),  three  feet  (pole  beans, 
celery,  corn,  bush  squash,  cucumber,  tomato) ,  or  four  feet  or 
more  (squash,  marrows,  melons).  There  are,  of  course,  va- 
riations from  this.  Celery,  started  very  early,  may  stand  in 


FIG.  97.  —  Beets  yield  two  vegetables,  the 
greens  and  the  roots.  Cook  the  smallest  beets 
with  the  greens. 


PLANNING    THE  GARDEN  187 

rows  eighteen  inches  apart  for  blanching  with  boards,  while 
very  late  celery  should  stand  four  feet  apart  for  wintering  in 
the  ground.  For  corn  and  the  squashes  the  distance  will 
vary  with  the  variety. 

All  these  plants  are  hardy  except  beans,  corn,  cucumber, 
eggplant,  okra,  pepper,  tomato,  and  the  squashes. 

For  potatoes,  see  Chapter  XXVII,  also  the  planting  list. 

If  once  you  have  learned  all  this,  you  are  ready  to  plan 
the  vegetable  garden.  What  with  succession  and  com- 
panion, cropping,  you  may  vary  the  plan  greatly.  In  succes- 
sion cropping  you  plant  the  early  vegetables  in  separate 
rows,  and  follow  them  with  others  as  soon  as  the  ground 
is  clear.  The  plants  that  follow  may  be  either  other  short- 
season  crops,  or  else  transplantings  of  full-season  crops. 
Thus  early  crops  of  radish,  lettuce,  spinach,  beets,  peas, 
or  dwarf  string  beans,  may  be  followed  by  kohl-rabi,  tur- 
nips, endive,  tomato,  cabbage,  cauliflower,  or  Brussels 
sprouts. 

In  companion  cropping  you  may  plant  in  the  same  row 
long-season  and  short-season  plants,  the  latter  to  be  out  of 
the  way  by  the  time  the  former  need  all  the  space.  Thus 
lettuce,  onion  sets,  or  hot-bed  onions,  may  go  between 
the  late  cabbage  or  cauliflower  or  the  staked  tomatoes. 
Again,  rows  of  short-season  crops  may  go  between  rows  of 
long-season  crops.  Thus  radish  or  beets,  or  onion  sets, 
or  spinach,  or  lettuce,  may  be  planted  midway  between  rows 
of  late  cabbage  or  cauliflower,  and  will  be  picked  before  the 
larger  and  later  plants  need  the  room.  Or  these  two  methods 
of  companion  cropping  may  be  combined  in  some  such  way 
as  follows :  Plant  a  row  of  late  cabbages  two  feet  apart, 
and  between  them  set  lettuce.  A  foot  away  sow  a  row  of 
radishes,  beets,  or  spinach.  Then,  another  foot  away,  set 
another  row  of  cabbages  and  lettuce,  or  perhaps  of  cauli- 


188 


PLANNING   THE  GAEDEN  189 

flower  and  onion  sets.  The  early  plants  will  be  picked  in 
time  for  the  later  ones  to  have  the  ground  to  themselves. 

The  only  common  combination  of  two  long-season  plants 
is  the  planting  of  pumpkins  between  the  hills  of  corn. 
But  since  both  these  plants  send  their  roots  widely,  they  are 
likely  to  interfere  with  each  other. 

You  will  notice  that  I  speak  of  hills.  These  are  the  spaces 
at  which  large  plants,  such  as  squashes,  corn,  and  pole  beans, 
are  to  stand.  We  usually  calculate  them  as  at  the  corners 
of  squares,  so  that  these  plants  are  said  to  stand  three  feet 
or  more  apart  "each  way."  Hills,  however,  are  always  in 
rows,  unless  we  are  able  to  tuck  them  in  odd  corners  of  an 
irregular  garden. 

As  you  plan  the  garden,  mark  lightly  on  the  paper  the 
rows  and  the  names  of  the  plants.  If  you  have  square  ruled 
paper,  the  squares  will  show  the  exact  distances.  Study 
carefully  whether  neighbors  are  not  too  near  or  far  apart, 
whether  you  have  too  much  or  little  of  any  one  thing,  whether 
plants  will  follow  or  live  with  each  other  successfully.  Give 
to  this  all  the  time  you  can,  consult  your  elders  about  it, 
and  make  all  the  changes  you  desire.  Your  forethought 
should  be  well  repaid,  for  a  garden  should  not  be  a  happy-go- 
lucky  thing.  Real  success  in  any  garden  cannot  come  by 
accident,  and  both  knowledge  and  taste  are  needed  in 
planning.  And  mere  thinking  the  matter  over,  without 
making  a  plan  on  paper,  is  a  mistake.  To  plan  a  garden  as 
you  plant  it  is  merely  to  invite  regret  for  wasted  space  and 
effort. 

If  your  garden  is  being  planned  for  the  second  year,  be 
sure  to  shift  the  positions  of  the  plants.  This  is  because 
plants,  as  a  general  thing,  should  not  be  grown  twice  on  the 
same  ground,  either  because  disease  is  likely  to  result ;  or  be- 
cause they  have  used  up  the  chemicals  which  they  need ;  or 


4  **w  4- 1"  *  *  ^ 


190 


PLANNING   THE  GARDEN  191 

in  the  case  of  peas  and  beans,  because  the  ground  will  now 
be  too  rich  for  them.  Plan  accordingly,  and  where  last  year's 
peas  and  beans  have  put  nitrogen  in  the  soil,  try  to  put  this 
year's  leaf  plants,  such  as  lettuce,  cabbage,  and  spinach. 

When  the  plan  is  finished,  mark  it  clearly  with  hard  pencil, 
not  with  ink  or  soft  pencil,  for  then  it  will  blot  or  rub  if  it 
gets  wet  when  taken  to  the  garden.  Then  study  how  much 
seed  you  need.  So  many  feet  of  corn,  or  beets,  or  alyssum  : 
this  is  easy  to  calculate.  Next  turn  to  the  table  of  seed 
quantities,  in  the  back  of  this  book,  and  find  how  many 
packets  or  ounces  or  pints  you  will  need.  For  most  flower 
gardens,  and  for  a  very  small  vegetable  garden,  packets  are 
usually  enough ;  but  for  a  large  vegetable  garden  you  will 
need  greater  amounts  of  certain  seeds,  such  as  beets,  peas, 
and  beans. 

The  next  question  is  where  to  buy  the  seed,  which  is  more 
important  than  one  is  likely  to  think.  For  if  the  seed  is  not 
good,  and  either  does  poorly  or  fails  entirely,  you  do  not 
lose  it  alone :  all  the  work  and  expense  of  preparing,  plant- 
ing, and  cultivating  has  gone  for  little.  Therefore  make  sure 
to  get  only  the  best  seed.  If  you  belong  to  a  school  or  town 
gardening  association,  then  use  its  seed.  But  you  may 
have  to  shift  for  yourself.  Grocery  store  seed,  such  as  is 
displayed  in  little  cases  in  gayly  colored  packages,  is  too  often 
old,  or  adulterated,  or  not  properly  named.  Go  therefore 
to  a  seedsman  whose  business  depends  upon  the  reputation 
of  his  seeds;  there  are  such  men  in  the  nearest  large  city. 
If  you  do  not  know  the  name  of  one,  ask  a  florist,  or  write  the 
editor  of  a  farm  or  garden  paper.  Get  the  seedsman's  cata- 
logue, and  order  by  mail.  Seeds  will  come  long  distances 
safely,  and  if  sent  by  mail  the  seedsman  will  usually  pay 
postage  except  on  heavy  packages  of  peas,  beans,  and  corn. 
On  these  you  ought  to  be  willing  to  pay  the  cost  yourself, 


192        .      THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

in  order  to  make  sure  that  your  summer  crop  is  good. 
Remember  of  whom  you  buy,  keep  a  record  of  the  varieties, 
and  in  the  fall  mark  on  the  list  whether  they  succeeded  or 
failed.  Thus  you  can  learn  which  kinds  are  best  suited  for 
your  soil ;  and  if  you  buy  of  more  than  one  man,  you  can 
find  out  which  will  serve  you  best. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  not  plan  the  garden  at  the  time  of  planting  ? 

2.  What  kind  of  paper  is  the  most  convenient  for  making  a  plan  ? 

3.  What  is  companion  cropping  ?     Succession  cropping  ? 

4.  Where  do  you  intend  to  put  your  flower  garden  ?     Explain  its 
shape,  its  size,  its  background.     What  will  you  plant  in  it,  and 
why? 

5.  What  is  the  size  and  shape  of  your  vegetable  garden?    How 
will  you  run  the  rows  ?    What  will  you  plant  in  it  ? 

6.  What  hills  will  you  plant,  and  at  what  distances  ? 

7.  Where  will  you  get  your  seed?    What  do  you  know  of  your 
seedsman  ? 


.    CHAPTER  XXVII 
PERENNIAL  PLANTS 

IN  the  last  chapter,  when  discussing  the  planning  of  the 
garden,-!  spoke  as  if  it  were  to  be  planted  and  dug  up  all  in 
one  year ;  that  is,  as  if  all  the  plants  were  annuals.  That  is 
best  with  school  gardens,  with  very  small  gardens,  and  for  all 
gardeners  who  are  afraid  that  they  may  tire  of  the  work. 
But  those  who  studied  the  chapter  well  must  have  noticed 
something :  that  it  takes  a  long  time  to  get  flowers  or  vege- 
tables from  seed.  The  earliest  flowers  scarcely  come  before 
June,  and  you  can  get  lettuce,  which  is  the  first  real  vegetable 
(for  radishes  and  cress  scarcely  count),  not  very  much  earlier. 
Even  if  you  start  these  in  the  frames,  the  waiting  is  long  and 
slow.  Yet  as  you  looked  into  your  neighbors'  gardens 
you  saw  beautiful  flowers  in  May,  or  in  April  saw  the  gardener 
carrying  into  the  house  large  quantities  of  the  best  vegetables 
in  the  world,  and  that  from  the  open  garden. 

Yes,  but  those  were  perennials.  Your  neighbor's  colum- 
bine, lily  of  the  valley,  peony,  and  among  vegetables  his 
asparagus  and  rhubarb,  all  were  planted  in  the  same  places 
one,  or  two,  or  even  more  years  ago.  I  have  before  me  a 
list  of  thirty-two  common  plants,  all  flowering  in  May,  but 
all  of  them  hardy  perennials.  Gardening  seems  very  easy, 
does  it  not,  when  all  one  has  to  do  is  to  uncover  the  plants 
when  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground,  to  rake  or  dig  lightly, 
and  fertilize  a  little,  and  then  in  return  to  receive  handfuls  or 
armfuls  of  very  early  blossoms,  or  be  able  to  cut  asparagus 
o  193 


194 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


enough  for  the  family  meal?  And  then  in  fall,  when  all 
the  other  flowers  are  gone,  how  satisfactory  it  is  to  see  the 
gorgeous  chrysanthemums  just  coming  into  bloom  !  The 


FIG.  100.  —  Peonies  are  easy  of  culture.     Buy  the  roots. 

garden  season  is  lengthened  at  both  ends.     But  this  is  the 
result  of  the  forethought  and  labor  of  previous  years. 

If  you  are  able  to  secure,  at  home  or  at  the  school,  a  good- 
sized  plot  which  shall  be  yours  for  two  years  or  more,  then 
perennials  are  possible.  Let  us  consider  what  they  are,  and 


PERENNIAL    PLANTS 


195 


how  to  secure  them.  Their  length  of  life  varies  from  two 
years  (properly  called  biennials,  in  which  class  there  are  a 
few  very  valuable  kinds)  to 
ten  years  or  more.  The  as- 
paragus is  very;  long  lived. 
Some  of  the  perennials  can 
be  quickly  and  cheaply 
raised  from  seed :  such  are 
asparagus,  foxglove,  Canter- 
bury bells,  columbine,  lark- 
spur, forget-me-not,  sweet 
William,  hollyhocks,  phlox. 
All  of  them  can  be  bought 
and  transplanted,  and  cer- 
tain of  them  must  be :  such 
are  iris,  lily  of  the  valley, 
peony,  rhubarb,  yucca,  vio- 
let. Only  the  professional 
plant-breeders  grow  these 
from  seed.  But  many  per- 
ennials grow  so  fast  that 
every  few  years  they  must 
be  divided,  lest  they  crowd 
each  other  ;  others  seed 
themselves,  and  the  seed- 
lings  are  very  numerous.  In 
spring,  therefore,  it  might  from  a  single  plant, 
easily  be  possible  for  you 

to  get  from  your  gardening  elders  roots  or  seedlings  of  such 
plants  as  rhubarb,  Canterbury  bell,  foxglove,  larkspur, 
Japanese  anemone,  sweet  William,  hollyhock,  phlox, 
chrysanthemum,  iris,  or  violet.  A  real  gardener,  you  will 
find,  loves  to  give  plants  away. 


196 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN 


These  perennials,  with  some  few  others  which  I  will  pres- 
ently name,  are  excellent  for  young  people's  gardens,  being 
both  handsome  and  easy  to  cultivate.  In  planning  the 
garden  for  them,  one  must  consider  whether  or  not  they 
are  to  be  grown  from  seed.  Let  me  first  give  directions  for 
this,  speaking  not  of  vegetables  but  of  flowers. 

Perennials  raised  from  seed  are,  for  the  first  year  at  least, 

not  handsome,  and 
may  very  well  be 
grown  in  an  out-of- 
the-way  place,  while 
true  flowers  occupy 
the  garden.  The 
seed  may  be  bought, 
or  else  begged  of  a 
neighbor  who  has 
particularly  lovely 
varieties.  Some 
seed,  such  as  fox- 
glove, sweet  William, 
and  larkspur,  should 
be  sowed  very .  soon 
after  it  is  ripe,  pref- 
erably in  a  shady 
place.  Other  seed 
can  be  sowed  in  earliest  spring,  after  the  seed  has  been 
soaked  for  a  day.  After  the  seed  has  soaked,  spread  it  on  a 
board  or  cloth,  and  allow  it  to  dry  for  an  hour,  or  it  will  stick 
together.  Do  not  sow  too  thickly,  thin  the  plants  as  soon 
as  they  crowd,  and'  when  they  are  strong,  say  in  early  June, 
transplant  so  that  they  stand  about  a  foot  apart  each  way, 
in  rows.  Treat  them  now  exactly  like  vegetables,  cultivat- 
ing them  after  every  rain,  and  in  the  fall  set  them  with  much 


FIG.  102.  —  Foxglove  is  a  biennial.     Sow  the 
seed  as  soon  as  ripe,  if  you  can  get  them. 


PERENNIAL  PLANTS  197 

care  in  the  places  which  you  have  prepared  for  them  in  the 
flower  garden.  Then  next  year  they  should  begin  their  bloom. 

All  bought  plants,  or  those  given  you,  are  usually  ready  to 
set  in  the  garden  at  once.  Divided  roots  should  be  set  as 
deep  as  they  stood  before.  You  can  tell  this  depth  by  study- 
ing the  remains  of  the  stalk. 

Seedling  plants  should  be  set  with  their  crown  at  the 
ground  level,  in  the  seed  bed  or  in  the  garden,  according  to 
their  size. 

The  treatment  of  perennial  vegetables  you  can  study  in 
the  planting  list. 

And  now  for  planning  the  garden.  There  are  so  few 
perennial  vegetables  that  to  plan  for  them  is  not  difficult. 
The  good  ones  are  asparagus,  sea-kale,  rhubarb,  and  udo. 
The  gardener  should  find  what  space  each  requires,  settle  how 
many  plants  he  needs  of  each,  and  then  put  them  in  one  part 
of  the  garden  by  themselves.  This  perennial  bed  should 
be  to  the  east  or  west  of  the  annual  vegetable  garden,  so 
that  it  need  never  be  in  the  way  of  plowing.  The  rows  should 
run  parallel  to  the  others,  and  they  may  be  cultivated  with 
them. 

And  now  for  my  larger  list  of  perennial  flowers.  The 
best  of  them  are  the  following,  given  according  to  the  months 
in  which  they  begin  to  bloom.  For  April :  perennial  daisy 
(Bellis  perennis,  English  daisy),  lily  of  the  valley,  forget-me- 
not.  For  May :  columbine,  German  iris,  peony,  bleeding- 
heart.  For  June :  Canterbury  bell,  Scotch  pink,  gaillardia, 
Japan  iris,  Iceland  and  Oriental  poppies,  phlox,  sweet 
William,  yucca  (Adam's  needle).  For  July :  hollyhock, 
foxglove,  larkspur,  helianthus  (perennial  sunflower).  For 
August :  cardinal  flower,  golden  glow.  For  September : 
Japanese  anemone,  red-hot  poker,  hardy  aster,  helenium. 
For  October  :  hardy  chrysanthemum. 


198 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


FIG.  103.  —  This  crown  of  sprouting  asparagus  shows  the  new  shoots 
and.  the  old  stalks.  These  perennial  roots  should  yield  for  more  than 
twenty  years,  the  thick  storage  roots  allowing  weeks  of  cutting  every 
spring. 


PERENNIAL   PLANTS 


199 


The  colors  of  these  also  vary  widely,  the  varieties  having 
different  colors.  The  following  list  may  help.  Columbine, 
all  colors.  Chrysanthemum,  best  in  yellow,  red;  pink,  white. 
Forget-me-not,  blue.  German  iris,  a  great  variety  of  colors 
in  combination.  Japan  iris,  best  in  white,  blue,  purple,  and 
their  combinations. 
Peony,  red,  pink, 
white.  Lily  of  the 
valley,  whit  e  . 
Bleeding-heart,  pink 
and  white.  Canter- 
bury bell,  white, 
blue.  Gaillardia, 
yellow,  red  center. 
Oriental  poppy,  best 
in  scarlet.  Iceland 
poppy,  yellow,  scar- 
let, white.  Phlox, 
best  in  pink,  red, 
white.  Sweet  Wil- 
liam, white,  pink, 
red.  Yucca,  cream 
white.  Hollyhock, 
best  in  white,  crim- 
son, purple.  Fox- 
glove,  white, 
lavender,  spotted, 

yellow.  Larkspur,  shades  of  blue,  but  avoid  purple. 
Helianthus,  yellow.  Japanese  anemone,  white.  Aster, 
purple.  Helenium,  yellow.  Chrysanthemum,  yellow,  red, 
pink,  white. 

The  sizes  of  these  perennials  vary  greatly,  and  also  their 
habits.     They  should  be  studied  in  the  planting  list,  and  the 


FIG.    104.  —  Japanese    Iris,    one    of   the   most 
beautiful  of  flowers.     The  roots  like  moist  soil. 


200  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

knowledge  applied  to  planning  the  garden.  For  a  short 
list  of  the  most  easily  grown  perennials,  the  beginner  might 
try  the  following  :  Lily  of  the  valley ;  forget-me-not ;  colum- 
bine ;  iris  (chiefly  German  and  Japanese) ;  peony ;  Canter- 
bury bell;  phlox;  sweet  William;  hollyhock;  larkspur; 
golden  glow;  Japanese  anemone;  chrysanthemum.  Of 
these,  forget-me-not,  columbine,  Canterbury  bell,  phlox, 
sweet  William,  hollyhock,  and  larkspur  can  be  cheaply  and 
easily  grown  from  seed.  The  rest  should  be  bought. 

The  planting  of  a  perennial  garden  should  mean  that  the 
gardener  is  patient  and  persistent,  and  that  he  loves  his  work. 
But  his  reward  is  worth  working  for.  The  list  just  given 
includes  flowers  of  the  greatest  differences  in  form  and  color 
and  season,  giving  a  variety  which  with  little  labor  year  after 
year  will  delight  the  gardener  and  his  guests. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  are  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  perennials? 

2.  How  is  it  best  to  treat  in  its  first  year  a  perennial  grown  from 
seed? 

3.  Where  will  you  get  your  roots  ? 

4.  What  perennial  flowers  will  you  grow  ?    What  perennial  vege- 
tables? 


,  CHAPTER  XXVIII 
BULBS  AND  TUBERS 

IF  we  use  perennials  to  lengthen  the  yield  of  the  garden, 
we  may  find  ourselves  wishing  to  make  the  season  longer 
still.  Bulbs  will  give  us  the  earliest  flowers  of  all.  More- 
over, during  the  summer  they  give  us  some  very  lovely 
flowers. 

Bulbs  are  marvelous  plants,  each  containing  in  itself 
leaf  and  flower,  ready  to  unfold.  The  best  of  them  are  grown 
by  the  patient  people  of  Holland,  whose  nature  and  soil  and 
climate  fit  them  for  the  task.  Bulbs  are  imported  into  this 
country  in  enormous  quantities  and  in  all  qualities;  they 
are  much  more  expensive  than  seeds,  but  since  many  garden 
associations  offer  them  to  their  members,  gardeners  should 
understand  about  them. 

Bulbs  divide  into  two  classes  :  those  planted  in  the  fall, 
and  those  planted  in  spring  or  early  summer.  As  already 
explained,  the  fall-planted  bulbs  make  roots  before  winter, 
then  lie  snug  through  the  frosts,  and  in  spring  push  to  the 
light.  The  spring-planted  ones  make  their  roots  and  then 
grow  at  once.  Some  few  bulbs  are  tender ;  the  one  that  we 
are  most  likely  to  plant  is  the  gladiolus.  This,  and  some 
few  of  the  hardy  bulbs,  should  be  taken  up  after  the  foliage 
has  died.  The  rest  remain  in  the  ground,  where  for  many 
years  new  bulbs  are  made  as  the  old  ones  die.  Such  bulbs 
pay  for  themselves  over  and  over  again. 

Compared  with  other  plants,  bulbs  take  up  very  little 

201 


202 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


are   t  planted     in 
They  are  hardy. 


space.  Even  the  largest  of  them,  the  lilies,  cover  when  in 
full  growth  scarcely  more  than  a  square  foot  of  ground.  Of 
the  small  bulbs,  such  as  the  crocus, 
several  can  be  set  in  this  space.  There- 
fore bulbs  can  be  set  among  other 
plants  and  will  scarcely  be  in  the  way. 
Fall-planted  bulbs  will  have  finished 
their  blooming,  and  begun  to  die  down, 
by  the  time  other  plants  are  getting 
ready  to  flower. 

Bulbs  can  be  planted  singly,  or  in 

FIG.  105.  — Lily  bulbs  groups,  or  in  masses.  They  do  well 
Lng'  in  lines  in  the  border,  in  clumps  among 
other  plants  or  under  the  shrubs  (the 
very  earliest  bulbs  only),  or  irregularly  but  thickly  spaced 
in  the  grass.  Let  me  speak  of  those  which  are  to  be  planted 
in  spring  or  summer.  For  all 
of  them  the  ground  should  be 
prepared  at  least  a  foot  deep; 
for  the  golden -banded  lily,  eigh- 
teen inches. 

The  gladiolus  provides  large 
spikes  of  beautiful  blossoms 
which  open  one  after  another. 
They  are  to  be  had  in  all  colors, 
in  the  most  delicate  hues,  and 
flower  in  August  and  Septem- 
ber. Cover  four  or  five  inches  ; 
distances,  six  inches  or  more. 
Gladiolus  is  tender,  and  the  bulbs  should  be  lifted  and  stored 
as  soon  as  the  tops  are  killed  by  frost.  The  little  bulbs  which 
form  near  the  big  ones  will,  if  nursed  for  a  couple  of  years, 
yield  good  flowers.  Plant  early  in  May. 


FIG.  106.  — Big  and  little  glad- 
iolus bulbs,  properly  called  corms. 
They  are  tender. 


BULBS  AND   TUBERS 


203 


The  lilies  all  flower  in  summer.  They  are  all  hardy,  and 
need  not  be  lifted  in  fall.  Put  no  manure  near  them.  Of 
the  many  kinds,  differing  in  color,  sizes,  and  seasons,  the 
following  are  the  best : 

Lilium  auratum,  the  golden -banded  lily,  is  finest  of  all 
(and  most  expensive!)  Set  them  a  foot  apart,  and  ten  or 
twelve  inches  deep.  They  flower  in  July.  See  Fig.  56. 

Lilium  speciosum,  almost  as  fine,  and  hardier.     Flowers  in 
July.    Cover  five  inches  ; 
set  a  foot  apart. 

Lilium  canadense,  the 
Canada  or  meadow  lily, 
likes  more  moisture  than 
most  bulbs.  The  yellow 
and  red  flowers  bloom  in 
May.  Cover  four  inches  ; 
set  nine  inches  apart. 

Lilium    tigrinum,    the 
tiger  lily,  blooms  in  early 
July.     It  can  be   raised 
from  the  little  black  bulbs  which  grow  on  the  stalk.     Cover 
the  large  bulbs  four  inches;    set  nine  inches  apart. 

The  Annunciation  lily,  lilium  candidum,  should  be  planted 
in  August  or  September  for  next  summer's  bloom.  Cover 
four  inches  or  more ;  set  nine  inches  apart. 

All  lily  bulbs,  when  out  of  the  ground,  should  be  kept  in 
wet  sand  or  moss,  and  not  allowed  to  dry  out. 

Besides  bulbs,  tubers  can  be  planted  in  spring.  These 
give  us  the  potato,  our  most  important  vegetable,  and  the 
Jerusalem  artichoke,  with  the  canna  and  dahlia  among 
flowers.  All  of  them  take  more  space  than  the  bulbs.  Just 
a  word  about  each  of  them,  remembering  that  all  should  be 
set  four  inches  deep,  and  that  all  must  be  lifted  in  the  fall. 


FIG.  107.  —  The  potato,  our  commonest 
tuber. 


204  THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 


FIG.  108.  —  Cannas  make  a  fine  show  of  leaves  and  flowers. 


BULBS  AND   TUBERS 


205 


The  potato,  set  under  ground,  produces,  also  under  ground, 
several  others  of  the  same  kind.  A  small  potato  (about  the 
size  of  a  hen's  egg)  may  be  planted,  or  a  larger  one  may  be 
cut  into  pieces  for  planting,  each  having  one  or  more  eyes. 
See  the  planting  list. 

The  Jerusalem  artichoke  will  not  be  popular  among  us  till 
we  import  the  fine  European  varieties.  It  is  a  nourishing 
vegetable,  and  yields  yellow  flowers.  Though  the  tubers 
are  hardy,  they 
should-  be  dug  in 
the  fall,  lest  they 
spread  and  be- 
come a  pest.  See 
the  planting  list. 

The  canna 
makes  large 
bronzed  leaves, 
with  a  spike  of 
red  or  yellow 
blossoms.  It 
can  be  raised 
from  seed  or 
tubers.  Give  two 
feet  of  space.  Extra  large  tubers  may  be  cut,  as  are  potatoes. 
For  early  results,  seeds  or  tubers  may  be  started  in  frames. 

The  dahlia,  like  the  canna,  has  been  very  much  improved 
of  late,  and  gives  some  of  the  handsomest  August  and  Sep- 
tember flowers,  in  many  forms,  sizes,  and  colors.  They 
may  be  raised  from  seed,  but  tubers  are  best  and  surest. 
Set  two  feet  apart.  Single  tubers  have  but  an  eye  or  two, 
and  should  generally  not  be  cut;  in  the  fall  they  will  be 
found  to  have  produced  a  clump  of  tubers,  which  in  the 
spring  can  be  divided  and  set  separately. 


FIG.  109.  —  A  clump  of  dahlia  tubers,  produced  in  a 
year  from  a  single  one. 


206  THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 

These  two  classes  of  plants,  the  bulbs  and  tubers,  are 
much  more  difficult  to  handle,  and  are,  besides,  much  more 
expensive,  than  seeds.  Small  gardens  can  easily  do  without 
them,  and  beginners  may  very  well  let  them  alone  for  the 
first  year.  But  after  that  the  true  gardener  will  find  his 
interest  in  them  beginning,  and  he  will  not  be  satisfied  till  he 
has  some  of  his  own. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  a  bulb  ?     What  bulbs  should  be  planted  in  the  spring  ? 

2.  Name  certain  great  advantages  of  bulbs.    Are  you  going  to 
plant  any  ? 

3.  What  is  a  tuber  ?    What  space  do  they  require  compared  with 
bulbs  ?    Are  any  of  them  valuable  to  use  ?    Shall  you  plant  any  ? 
Which  ones,  and  why  ? 


.      CHAPTER  XXIX 
SHRUBS 

As  one  of  the  best  means  of  setting  off  a  garden  is  the 
proper- use  of  shrubs,  I  shall  write  briefly  about  them.  They 
are  the  finest  background  to  any  garden,  and  are  often  in 
themselves  very  beautiful. 

In  choosing  shrubs  it  is  wise  to  consider  those  which  grow 
wild  in  the  neighborhood,  for  they  are  sure  to  stand  the 
climate.  They  may  be  bought  of  nurserymen,  or  may  simply 
be  dug  in  the  woods  in  early  spring  or  fall,  but  should  be 
taken  while  young.  A  large  wild  shrub  transplants  very 
poorly.  Those  bought  of  nurserymen  transplant  better, 
but  still  ought  to  be  as  young  as  possible. 

At  the  same  time  many  of  the  shrubs  which  have  been 
brought  from  other  regions  do  very  well  in  our  country,  and 
have  special  beauties  of  their  own.  They  must  be  bought 
of  nurserymen,  grown  from  seeds  (which  is  very  seldom 
done,  because  it  is  extremely  slow),  or  from  cuttings. 

The  choice  of  shrubs  depends  partly  upon  the  season  of 
their  bloom.  It  is  wise  to  try  to  have  some  of  our  shrubs 
blooming  at  each  season.  The  choice  depends  also  upon 
the  attractions  of  the  different  shrubs,  whether  the  flowers, 
or  the  foliage,  or  the  berries  or  pods.  I  will  write  of  them 
under  these  headings,  choosing  only  the  best  all-round  kinds. 

Spring  flowering  shrubs  are  the  following.  Very  early 
are  the  daphnes,  forsythias,  and  pussy  willows.  Later  come 
the  ornamental  varieties  of  the  fruits  (apples,  peaches, 

207 


208  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

cherries,  quinces,  and  almonds) ,  the  mountain  laurel,  rho- 
dodendron, the  azaleas,  dogwoods,  deutzias,  lilacs,  spiraeas, 
honeysuckles,  the  mock-orange,  the  wild  thorns,  the  snow- 
balls. Summer  bloomers  are  rarer;  the  best  are  the  wild 
roses,  and  rosa  rugosa,  the  Japanese  rose  (these  are  mostly 
single.  I  shall  speak  of  the  other  roses  elsewhere) ;  Japa- 
nese kerria,  hydrangea,  Canadian  elder,  tamarisk. 

Foliage  shrubs  are  the  weigelas,  oleaster,  box,  oak-leaved 
hydrangea,  laurel  and  rhododendron,  the  privets,  the  buck- 
thorns, the  sumacs,  Japanese  wineberry,  the  willows,  and 
some  of  the  viburnums. 

Pod  or  berry-bearing  shrubs  are  the  Japanese  barberry, 
the  common  barberry,  the  wayfaring  tree,  rosa  rugosa,  the 
hawthorns,  the  bladder  senna,  cotoneaster,  Japan  quince, 
the  elders,  winterberry,  nine-bark. 

Some  of  these  shrubs  belong  in  more  than  one  class. 
Their  number  is  very  great,  and  the  spiraeas,  lilacs,  willows, 
viburnums,  dogwoods,  and  others  have  so  many  forms  that 
a  buyer  should  make  the  nurseryman  carefully  explain  the 
differences,  pointing  them  out  in  the  nursery  as  they  stand. 
Indeed,  it  is  always  best  to  go  to  a  nursery  the  year  before 
buying  if  possible,  or  in  the  fall  or  early  spring,  and  see  the 
shrubs  for  one's  self.  Or  one  can  roam  amongst  the  neigh- 
bors' gardens,  learning  the  virtues  of  the  different  shrubs, 
and  so  making  a  choice. 

All  these  shrubs  are  hardy.  A  good  selection  of  them  is : 
forsythia  viridissima,  deutzia  lemoinei,  several  lilacs,  spiraea 
van  Houttei,  rosa  rugosa,  hydrangea  paniculata. 

The  soil  for  a  shrubbery  should  be  made  as  deep  and  rich 
as  possible.  Take  out  all  the  stones,  wheel  in  all  the  com- 
post and  manure  that  you  can  possibly  afford,  and  spade 
them  in  deeply,  at  the  same  time  taking  out  all  roots  of  per- 
ennial weeds.  If  you  have  nothing  to  put  in  but  fresh  manure 


SHBUSS 


209 


or  coarse  vegetable  matter  that  will  not  sprout,  or  even  fresh 
sod,  these  can  be  made  to  serve  by  taking  out  all  the  loam, 
and  burying  the  material  at  least  eighteen  inches  deep. 
There  it  will  rot,  and  when  the  roots  of  the  shrubs  reach  it, 
the  plant  food  will  be  ready  for  them. 

The  design  of  a  shrubbery  should  never  be  stiff.  The 
intention  should  in  general  be  to  produce  clumps  or  borders 
of  shrubs,  and  not  to  have  single  specimens  stand  about 
lonesomely.  Only 
very  beautiful  single 
shrubs  or  trees  can 
properly  stand  by 
themselves,  and  of 
these  the  shrubs 
should  never  be  far 
from  a  clump  of 
others.  Generally, 
therefore,  count  on 
having  the  branches 
of  the  shrubs  touch 
or  intermingle. 
Standing  thus,  they 
should  not  be  in 


FIG.  110.  —  Shrubs  along  a  boundary  are  useful 
and  pleasing.     Hollyhock  in  front. 


lines,  the  lowest  outside  and  the  highest  inside,  as  with  a  flower 
bed.  They  should  rather  be  in  groups  of  three  or  four  or 
five  of  the  same  kind,  so  that  the  height  of  the  shrubbery 
will  rise  and  fall  irregularly.  The  outline  should  be  curving 
or  wavy,  not  straight.  This  looks  like  nature's  planting,  and 
is  the  most  pleasing.  .One  habit  of  shrubs  we  can  depend  on 
to  make  such  an  arrangement  satisfactory.  As  soon  as  they 
are  growing  well,  their  outer  branches  will  droop  and  almost 
sweep  the  ground.  Thus  they  will  appear  to  rise  from  the 
grass,  or  from  the  flowers  that  stand  in  front  of  them. 


210  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Shrubberies  may  be  placed  at  the  edge  of  clumps  of  trees, 
or  inside  the  fences  that  inclose  a  house-lot.  They  are  of 
great  service  along  the  foundation  lines  of  a  building,  hiding 
the  cellar  wall,  rounding  corners,  making  the  building  seem 
lower,  and  altogether  making  it  more  homelike.  They  may 
be  planted  to  hide  the  kitchen  end  of  a  house,  the  compost 
heap,  or  the  clothes-yard.  Or  a  shrubbery  may  be  designed 


FIG.  111.  —  A  planting  of  spiraeas  to  mask  a  shed.     German  iris  in  front. 

to  inclose  a  flower  garden.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  shrubs 
are  usually  planted  to  perform  some  service  in  making  a  place 
beautiful,  and  are  seldom  used  as  being  beautiful  themselves. 
This  is  right,  for  shrubs  are  modest  things,  and  should  not 
be  expected  to  stand  alone,  on  show. 

The  distances  apart  at  which  shrubs  should  stand  varies 
with  their  size,  which  differs  with  the  variety.  I  believe 
in  setting  them  at  the  proper  distances  (about  two-thirds 
of  their  full  spread)  from  the  very  first,  For  shrubs  should 


SHRUBS  211 

be  moved  as  seldom  as  possible,  as  you  will  find  if  you  buy 
large  ones  instead  of  small.  The  small  shrubs,  which  do 
not  mind  transplanting,  will  grow  so  vigorously  that  in  a 
few  years  they  will  outstrip  those  which  were  well  grown 
when  set.  It  is  therefore  not  wise  to  put  shrubs  closer  than 
they  are  expected  to  remain,  for  if  moved  in  a  year  or  two 
they  will  suffer,  and  so  will  the  looks  of  the  shrubbery.  Of 
course  young  shrubs,  planted  at  full  distances,  seem  for  a 
year  or  so  too  wide  apart.  This  can  be  remedied,  if  one  has 
enough,  shrubs,  by  planting  twice  as  many  as  will  be  needed, 
and  then  taking  out  every  other  one.  But  nearly  as  good 
a  method,  and  much  cheaper,  is  to  plant  tall  flowers,  such 
as  larkspur  and  hollyhock,  among  them. 

In  setting  shrubs,  all  broken  roots  should  be  cut  off  clean. 
The  tops  should  also  be  pruned  somewhat  when  set.  After 
that,  all  large  shoots  should  be  removed  whenever  it  is  seen 
that  their  bark  is  getting  rough  and  coarse.  They  should 
be  cut  off  at  the  very  ground,  probably  two  or  three  of  them 
every  year.  The  younger  ones  will  then  replace  them, 
flowering  all  the  better.  This,  which  is  nature's  way,  is  a 
much  better  method  of  pruning  than  to  shear  them  all  at 
the  ends.  The  time  of  pruning  is  always  just  after  flower- 
ing. The  " spring  pruning"  is  therefore  injurious  to  some 
shrubs,  which  lose  some  of  their  best  blossoms  when  their 
buds  are  cut  away. 

An  excellent  use  of  shrubs  is  for  hedges.  For  this  purpose 
they  are  planted  closely,  usually  from  eighteen  inches  to  two 
feet  apart,  and  are  kept  in  bounds  by  shearing  or  heavy, 
pruning.  Good  shrubs  for  this  purpose  are  the  Japanese 
barberry,  the  California  privet  (best  near  the  seashore)  and 
the  Japanese  privet  (hardier),  rosa  rugosa,  lilac,  Japanese 
quince,  and,  toward  the  South,  the  box.  Of  these  the  Japa- 
nese barberry  and  the  rosa  rugosa  should  be  pruned,  the  rest 


212  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

sheared.  Evergreen  hedges,  which  are  always  sheared,  may 
be  grown  of  the  arbor  vitse  (the  dwarf  grows  slowly,  but 
needs  least  pruning)  and  the  hemlock. 

Few  things  about  a  place,  not  even  the  flowers,  do  so  much 
for  its  homelikeness  as  the  shrubs.  They  are  quiet,  but  are 
comfortable  and  friendly.  Learn  to  make  the  most  of  them. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  special  value  of  shrubs  in  relation  to  a  garden? 
To  a  place  ? 

2.  What  kind  of  shrubs  is  it  easiest  for  a  country  dweller  to  get  ? 

3.  Name  any  shrubs  with  which  you  are  familiar. 

4.  How  would  you  make  a  shrubbery  bed :   a.  the  soil ;   b.  the 
distances  for  setting  the  plants;  c.  the  order  or  system  of  setting? 

5.  Is  it  wise  to  plant  old  shrubs  ? 

6.  Describe  the  pruning  of  a  shrub. 

7.  Tell  what  kind  of  hedge  you  like  best. 


CHAPTER  XXX 
ROSES 

ROSES  are  plants  apart.  Some  few  of  them  are  easy  to 
grow,  but  most  of  them  are  shy  and  difficult,  requiring  to 
be  grown  by  themselves.  Although  shrubby,  they  are  not 
of  any  value  as  shrubs.  An  exception  is  the  rugosa,  which 
is  usually  grown  as  a  shrub  and  not  as  a  rose. 

To  grow  roses  properly,  one  must  understand  them.  First 
of  all,  let  us  study  their  classes. 

Perhaps  easiest  to  grow  is  the  rosa  rugosa,  a  Japanese 
rose  that  grows  into  a  thick  bush,  with  delicate  single  flowers 
that  appear  at  intervals  all  summer,  and  give  place  to  large 
red  hips  which  make  the  bush  very  attractive.  The  foliage, 
of  this  rose  is  its  great  beauty,  being  of  a  rich  dark  glossy 
green  that  is  not  troubled  by  either  insects  or  diseases. 
The  foliage  of  all  other  roses  is  too  frequently  sickly  and  un- 
attractive. Colors  of  the  rugosa  are  red,  pink,  and  white. 
It  is  treated  exactly  like  any  shrub,  and  makes  an  excellent 
hedge. 

Next  easiest  are  the  climbing  roses.  These  do  not  really 
climb  at  all,  since  they  have  no  means  of  holding  to  a  sup- 
port; but  they  send  out  long  shoots  which  can  be  trained 
to  posts  or  trellises.  Best  known  is  the  crimson  rambler, 
but  lovelier  is  the  Dorothy  Perkins  (pink) ,  which  is  quite  as 
hardy  and  less  likely  to  mildew.  The  old-fashioned  sweet- 
brier,  while  it  does  not  grow  so  tall,  is  well  worth  growing  for 

213 


214  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOR 

its  flowers,  while  the  foliage  has  at  all  times  the  delicate 
odor.     All  these  flower  but  once,  in  early  summer. 

The  best  garden  roses  are  the  hybrid  perpetual  class, 
which,  like  the  rugosa  and  the  climbers  mentioned,  are  very 

hardy.  They 
make  beautiful 
blossoms,  coming 
mostly  in  June ; 
afterwards  scat- 
teringly  through 
the  rest  of  the 
summer,  if  each 
cane  is  cut  off  near 
its  base  as  soon  as 
its  flowers  have 
gone.  Their  col- 
ors are  red  (Ulrich 
Brunner,  General 
Jacqueminot), 
pink  (Mrs.  John 
Laing,  Baroness 
Rothschild),  and 
white  (Frau  Carl 
Druschki,  Gloire 
Lyonnaise). 
These  roses  are 

FIG.  112.  —  A  spray  of  climbing  rose. 

pretty     sure     to 

survive  poor  treatment,  but  they  will   not  do  their   best 
unless  given  good  care. 

Less  easy  to  grow  are  the  hybrid  teas,  for  though  their 
blossoms  are  lovelier,  the  plants  are  likely  to  winter-kill. 
Unless  one  is  willing  to  give  much  care,  they  had  best  be 
let  alone.  Their  great  advantage  is  that  when  once  they 


ROSES 


215 


have  begun  to  bloom,  they  will  continue  all  summer,  if  only 
each  cane  is  cut  mostly  away  when  once  its  blossoms  have 


FIG.  113.  —  A  hybrid  tea  rose,  La  France. 

gone.  Good  kinds  are  :  in  red,  J.  B.  Clark  ;  pink,  Killarney, 
La  France ;  yellow,  Maman  Cochet ;  and  in  white,  Kaiserin 
Augusta  Victoria. 

These  last  two  classes  of  roses,  the  garden  roses,  need  to 


216 


THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 


be  protected  in  winter.  Some  gardeners,  after  bending  the 
roses  over  carefully,  cover  them  with  dry  earth,  then  with 
leaves  or  straw,  making  a  cover  that  will  shed  rain  and  will 
not  readily  thaw  out.  Others  tie  up  the  roses  in  straw,  and 
then  mound  the  earth  about  the  foot.  Still  others  make 
little  houses  for  their  roses,  usually  out  of  old  boxes,  filling 
them  with  leaves.  But  none  of  this  should  be  done  until 

the  ground  is  frozen, 
and  the  cover  then 
.  should  be  removed  in 
late  March,  or  when  the 
frost  is  really  leaving 
the  ground. 

There  are  other 
classes  of  roses,  but  I 
will  speak  of  only  one 
more,  which  should  be 
planted,  at  least  in  the 
North,  only  by  those 
who  so  love  roses  that 
they  are  willing  to  work 

FIG.  114.  —  Rosebushes  wrapped  in  straw         hard  ovprthpm       Thf^p 
for  the  winter. 

are  the  tea  roses,  which 

are  very  tender,  but  which  grow  very  lovely  blossoms  in  great 
quantity.  They  are :  white,  Bride ;  red,  Papa  Gontier ; 
pink,  Countess  de  Labarthe ;  and  yellow,  Perle  des  Jardins.1 
I  do  not  advise  trying  to  keep  these  tender  tea  roses  in 
the  ground  over  winter.  In  the  fall  cut  them  nearly  to  the 
ground,  lift  them,  and  store  them  away  from  frost  in  moist 
sand  or  earth.  Keep  them  cool,  plant  them  out  when  frosts 
are  gone,  and  they  should  yield  again. 

(1  Of  course  there  are  other  kinds  in  all  these  classes.  I  merely  name  the 
best  known.  If  a  reliable  florist,  having  none  of  them,  recommends  others 
in  the  same  classes,  there  is  no  reason  for  not  taking  his  selection. 


HOSES  217 

The  other  roses  may  be  kept  in  the  ground  year  after  year. 
Yet  some  growers  lift  them  every  three,  four,  or  five  years, 
prune  root  and  top,  and  replant  in  fresh  earth. 

It  is  something  of  a  question  where  to  get  one's  roses.  It 
is  simple,  but  expensive,  to  buy  them.  Two-year  roots  are 
the  best.  Or  roses  of  any  kind  can  be  grown  from  cuttings, 
as  described  in  an  earlier  chapter.  Again,  if  a  branch  be 
bent  to  the  ground  and  then  bent  upwards,  cutting  or  break- 
ing the  bark  on  the  under  side,  it  will,  if  buried  at  the  break, 
held  in  place,  and  kept  watered,  strike  strong  roots.  When 
cut  away  from  the  old  plant,  it  can  be  planted  anywhere.  » 

If  plants  are  bought,  they  should  be  "on  their  own  roots." 
Grafted  plants  often  give  the  loveliest  flowers,  but  they  are 
very  troublesome  on  account  of  strong  suckers  that  start 
from  the  root,  and  which  must  be  cut  out. 

As  roses  do  not  do  well  in  a  sandy  soil,  the  best  earth  for 
them  is  a  clayey  loam.  And  since  roses,  though  so  lovely, 
are  among  the  greediest  of  flowers,  they  need  to  be  very 
well  fed.  Very  well-rotted  manure  (cow  manure  is  best) 
should  be  mixed  freely  with  the  loam.  Bone-meal  is  also 
a  good  fertilizer,  both  mixed  with  the  soil  before  planting, 
and  used  as  a  top-dressing  two  or  three  times  during  the  sea- 
son. The  soil  should  be  well  drained,  for  water  standing 
at  the  roots  will  soon  kill  roses. 

Roses  should  be  set  in  soil  that  is  as  deep  as  one  can  afford. 
Two  feet  is  not  too  much,  and  at  least  a  foot  is  necessary. 
Plants  should  not  be  crowded,  and  should  be  given  two  feet 
of  space,  unless  the  varieties  are  very  small.  Roses  do  not 
like  to  be  near  other  plants,  and  this  is  why  they  are  usu- 
ally grown  in  beds  of  their  own. 

Finally,  roses  like  a  little  shade  each  day.  Set  them,  if 
you  can,  where  they  will  not  get  the  full  heat  of  the  after- 
noon sun. 


218  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

There  are  various  enemies  of  roses.  The  rose  bug  must 
be  picked  off,  the  aphis  must  be  sprayed  with  soap  or  kero- 
sene emulsion,  the  leaf -roller  must  be  crushed.  When  the 
bloom  is  over,  mildew  is  likely  to  appear.  Dust  the  tips  of 
the  plants  with  flowers  of  sulphur,  but  best  spray,  before 
the  blight  appears,  with  Bordeaux  or  the  copper  carbonate 
solution. 

You  see  that  the  growing  of  roses,  except  the  rugosa  and 
the  climbers,  is  not  easy.  Many  gardeners  try  it  and  give 
it  up.  More  credit  to  those  who,  with  thought  and  work, 
get  fine  flowers. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  roses  are  easy  to  grow? 

2.  Why  is  it  difficult  to  grow  others  ? 

3.  What  soil  do  roses  need  ? 

4.  What  kinds  of  roses  are  you  acquainted  with  ? 

5.  Tell  what  you  know  of  the  reasons  for  some  neighbor's  suc- 
cess or  failure  with  roses. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

VINES 

ALTHOUGH  much  to  be  admired  when  growing  against  a 
school  building,  vines  are  seldom  grown  in  school  gardens, 
on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  providing  supports.  In  the 
home  grounds,  however,  vines  may  be  put  to  several  uses. 

The  chief  value  of  vines  is  to  soften  the  outlines  of  a  build- 
ing, and  thus  to  make  it  more  attractive.  They  may  climb 
over  its  sides,  or  may  be  confined  to  a  trellis,  or  may  wander 
over  a  porch,  and,  by  drooping  from  it,  make  it  more  shady 
and  homelike.  But  vines  may  also  be  made  to  train  over 
any  unsightly  object,  such  as  the  compost  heap,  or  a  pile  of 
stone.  Or  in  narrow  spaces  they  may  be  made  to  do  the 
work  of  shrubs,  for  when  given  simple  supports  to  climb  on, 
they  will  make  a  wooden  or  a  wire  fence  into  what  appears 
to  be  a  hedge. 

The  varieties  of  vines  are  many,  and,  as  all  through  this 
book,  I  shall  speak  of  only  the  easiest  and  the  finest  to  grow. 
Considered  according  to  their  habits,  there  are  three  kinds. 
First  come  the  annuals,  which  sprout  from  seed,  and  die  in 
the  same  season.  Next  come  herbaceous  perennials,  which, 
though  they  live  from  year  to  year,  die  to  the  ground  each 
fall.  Finally,  there  are  the  woody  vines,  which  do  not  die 
back. 

Some  of  these  vines  climb  by  clinging.  That  is,  some 
have  either  suckers  or  rootlets,  by  which  they  can  cling  to  a 

219 


220  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

flat  surface ;  or  else  they  have  tendrils,  by  which  they  cling 
to  sticks  or  wires.  Other  vines  climb  by  twining.  The 
climbing  roses,  which  do  not  really  climb  at  all,  but  rather 


FIG.  115.  —  Vines  making  a  porch  shady  and  homelike. 

scramble  and  have  to  be  tied  in  place,  I  have  spoken  of  in 
the  chapter  on  Roses. 

Of  the  annual  vines  some  are  vegetables.  These  are  the 
tomato,  the  cucumber,  the  squash,  the  bean,  the  gourd,  and 
the  hop.  All  can  be  raised  from  seed  in  the  course  of  a  single 
season.  All  are  tender,  and  cannot  be  planted  before  the 


VINES 


221 


end  of  May,  but  all  make  strong 
growth,  especially  the  gourd  and  the 
hop.  These  are  rather  curiosities 
than  really  useful  plants ;  the  va- 
rious shapes  of  gourds  make  much 
amusement,  yet  the  gourds  them- 
selves, when  dried,  can  be  made  into 
vessels  of  various  kinds.  The  to- 
mato, cucumber,  and  the  running 
squash-  are  usually  allowed  to  sprawl 
in  the  garden ;  yet  each  can  be  led 
over  a  trellis,  and  can  serve  as  the 
background  of  a  small  plot.  The 
tomato  must  be  tied;  the  others 
have  tendrils,  and  will  cling.  The 
running  or  pole  beans  twine  readily 
up  poles  or  string ;  they  yield  a 
good  crop,  and  the  scarlet  runner 
has  in  addition  brilliant  flowers. 
Unless  the  rows  between  the  vege- 
tables are  very  wide,  the  vines  should 
of  course  be  on  the  north  side  of  the 
garden,  so  as  to  be  in  full  sun  them- 
selves, and  not  shade  the  other  plants. 
Other  annual  vines  are  flowering. 
Shortest,  but  hardy,  to  be  planted 
as  soon  as  the  ground  is  ready,  is  the 
sweet  pea.  It  grows  only  three  or 
four  feet  high  (the  higher  it  grows, 
the  poorer  will  be  the  flowers)  and 
must  have  some  support,  such  as 
brush  or  a  trellis.  The  other  flower- 
ing annuals  are  all  tender,  and 


, 


FIG.  116.  —  The 
rootlets     of      the 
creeper. 


climbing 
trumpet 


222 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


must  be  planted  late  in  May.  Easiest  to  grow  is  the  nas- 
turtium (the  dwarfs  do  not  climb  at  all),  whose  colors  are 
very  brilliant  and  whose  flowers  numerous.  It  is  best  to 
plant  groups  of  the  same  kind  whose  colors  go  well  together, 
rather  than  mixed  kinds.  Fairly  easy  to  grow  are  three  other 
annuals :  the  morning  glory  (soak  the  seeds,  after  filing  or 

sandpapering  the 
skin,  but  not  at  the 
germ),  the  moon- 
flower,  and  coboea 
scandens.  Each  of 
these  needs  a  trellis 
or  strings,  six  or 
more  feet  tall. 

Easiest  to  grow  of 
the  herbaceous  vines 
is  the  kudzu  vine,  a 
Japanese  climber, 
which,  when  estab- 
lished, will  grow 
forty  feet  in  a  season. 
It  is  a  twining  vine, 
but  needs  help  to 
make  it  cling.  It  can 
be  raised  from  seed, 
and  south  of  New  York  does  not  always  kill  back.  Other 
vines  of  this  class  are  the  cinnamon  vine,  a  twiner  that 
makes  a  rather  thin  foliage,  and  the  Madeira  vine,  another 
twiner,  whose  flowers  resemble  the  mignonette.  The  tubers 
of  these  last  two  must  be  bought,  and  are  not  expensive; 
but  while  the  cinnamon  vine  is  hardy,  the  tubers  of  the 
Madeira  vine  must  be  lifted  before  the  ground  freezes. 
The  woody  perennials  do  not  die  to  the  ground,  but  grow 


FIG.  117.  —  The  morning  glory  is  a  tender  an- 
nual vine. 


VINES 


223. 


taller  year  by  year,  until  their  stems  are  often,  at  the  base, 
bigger  than  a  man's  arm.  Nine  of  them  are  worth  any  one's 
growing. 

Most  famous  is  the  English  ivy.  This  climbs  by  clinging 
rootlets,  and  will  cover  almost  any  building  in  the  course  of 
time.  Its  close,  dark  green  foliage  is  beautiful  and  dignified. 


FIG.  118.  —  English  ivy  is  the  finest  vine  where  the  winters  are  mild, 
tice  the  rootlets. 


No- 


But  it  has  two  disadvantages.  It  is  slow  to  establish  itself, 
the  shoots  sometimes  dying  in  the  first  year  or  two,  unless 
protected  from  the  winter's  sun.  And  it  is  not  truly  hardy 
much  north  of  New  York  City. 

Euonymus  radicans,  or  spindle  vine,  cannot  really  pretend 
to  take  the  place  of  ivy  except  in  one  particular.  It  is  ever- 
green. Either  of  these  two  vines  is  green,  and  therefore 
very  beautiful,  all  winter.  But  the  euonymus  does  not  grow 


224 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOS: 


much  taller  than  ten  feet  high,  and  though  its  growth  is  very 
thick  and  glossy,  it  cannot  do  the  same  service  as  the  ivy. 
The  remaining  vines  all  lose  their  leaves  in  winter. 
Boston  ivy,  or  Japanese  ampelopsis,  is  used  to  take  the 
place  of  the  English  ivy  north  of  New  York  City.     It  is 
very  hardy,  will  climb  quite  as  high  as  the  other,  and  has 

beautiful  close 
leafage,  which  is 
attractively  col- 
ored in  the  fall. 

Of  the  same 
family,  and  climb- 
ing by  the  same 
method,  by  ten- 
drils and  suckers, 
is  the  Virginia 
creeper.  It  grows 
rapidly,  trains 
well,  but  does  not 
cover  so  much 
space.  Neither  of 
these  vines  bears 
flowers. 

A  fine-flowering  vine  is  the  trumpet  creeper,  tecoma  radi- 
cans,  which  bears  orange  flowers  in  summer,  often  flowering 
from  July  to  September.  It  grows  about  thirty  feet  high,  by 
means  of  rootlets.  In  some  localities  it  becomes  a  trouble- 
some weed.  The  Chinese  variety,  tecoma  grandiflora,  has 
larger  flowers.  Both  are  hardy. 

The  clematis  is  an  easily  grown  vine,  climbing  by  means 
of  its  petioles  or  leafstalks,  and  therefore  needing  a  support. 
It  grows  to  the  height  of  twenty  feet.  Easiest  to  grow  is  the 
Japanese  clematis  paniculata,  which  in  late  August  forms 


FIG.  119. 


The  Virginia  creeper  is  a  useful  hardy 
vine. 


VINES 


225 


masses  of  small  white  and 
sweet-smelling  blossoms. 
The  pods  which  follow 
these  are  also  attractive. 
There  are  largerflowered 
clematis  of  two  colors, 
deep  violet  (Jackman's 
clematis)  and  white 
(Henry's  clematis).  But 
the  vines  of  these  are  not 
so  close-growing. 

The  honeysuckles  form 
a  family  of  vines  of  which 
the  Japanese  is  easiest  to 
grow.  One  of  its  varieties 
has  a  gold-yellow  flower 
(lonicera  Japonica  reticu- 
lata) .  Very  well  known  in 
this  family  is  the  woodbine 
(lonicera  periclymenum) . 
The  honeysuckles  do  not 
grow  taller  than  twenty- 
five  feet,  but  are  very 
hardy,  and  stand  drought 
well,  or  do  well  in  light 
soil.  They  climb  by  twin- 
ing, and  therefore  need 
support.  Their  flowers 
come  in  summer. 

A  very  early  flowering 

vine,  and  one  which  also 

has  a  fine   foliage,  is  the 

wistaria.     It  is  sometimes 

Q 


FIG.    120.  —  The  large-flowered 
clematis. 


226 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


difficult  to  establish,  the  reason  I  name  it  last ;  but  when 
once  it  is  growing  well  it  is  probably  the  finest  vine  that  we 
have.  Its  flowers,  in  long,  drooping  spikes,  are  lovely  and 
fragrant  in  early  spring;  its  foliage  is  clean  and  plentiful. 


FIG.  121.  —  The  Chinese  wistaria  is  beautiful  when  in  flower. 

The  best  kind  is  the  Chinese,  with  white  or  blue  flowers.  It 
is  very  hardy,  and  will  climb,  by  twining,  to  the  height  of  a 
hundred  feet. 

These  are  the  best  woody  vines  for  the  beginner  to  grow, 


VINES  227 

although  others  (actinidia,  akebia,  bitter-sweet,  Dutchman's 
pipe,  and  several  more)  may  be  chosen  by  one  who  is  familiar 
with  them  and  can  easily  get  the  plants.  None  of  these 
nine  vines  can  be  easily  grown  from  seed,  but  from  a  nursery- 
man a  root  of  any  of  them  can  be  bought  for  less,  often  much 
less,  than  a  dollar.  To  these  vines  can  be  added  the  grape, 
which  may  be  admired  quite  as  much  for  the  beauty  of  its 
foliage  as  for  its  fruit.  It  climbs  by  means  of  its  tendrils, 
and  will  go  high  enough  to  cover  any  ordinary  arbor  or  porch. 
Used  as  a  cover,  the  wild  vines  are  very  beautiful,  and  are 
considered  by  some  to  give  the  best  grapes  for  jelly.  Or  the 
cultivated  grapes  can  be  used.  Grapes  can  be  raised  from 
cuttings,  as  explained  in  a  previous  chapter. 

The  annual  vines  may  be  planted  in  the  ordinary  soil  of  the 
garden,  but  the  perennial  vines  ought  to  have  as  good  prepara- 
tion as  for  a  tree  or  a  shrub.  A  hole  as  wide  and  deep  as  the 
gardener  can  fill  with  good  food  (with  manure,  compost,  and 
good  loam)  is  none  too  good  for  them. 

The  support  for  the  vine  is  according  to  its  nature.  Those 
which  climb  by  means  of  suckers  or  rootlets  need  no  trellis, 
but  can  grow  on  brick,  stone,  or  wood.  Those  which  cling 
by  twining,  or  by  tendrils  or  petioles,  should  have  a  trellis  of 
some  kind.  For  the  annual  vines,  strings  are  good  enough. 
Tie  them  to  pegs  in  the  ground,  and  lead  them  to  the  top  of 
the  wall  or  fence.  But  for  vines  that  are  to  live  for  years,  the 
support  should  also  be  lasting.  They  should  be  of  wire  on 
iron  frames,  or  of  some  durable  wood.  Cypress  is  the  best. 
Sometimes  trellises  can  be  bought  to  suit  the  place  where  the 
vine  is  to  go ;  but  usually  it  is  wisest  to  have  the  trellis  made 
for  the  place.  A  boy  who  is  handy  with  tools  can  make,  out 
of  cypress,  a  trellis  that  is  better  than  he  can  buy  at  any  store. 
But  it  should  be  put  in  its  place  firmly,  using  screws  or  bolts 
rather  than  nails.  For  vines  become  heavy,  and,  when  wet, 


228  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

or  when  pulled  at  by  the  wind,  drag  very  strongly  at  their 
supports.  Trellises,  or  wires,  should  not  have  openings  that 
are  very  small,  lest  the  vine  should  not  have  room  to  grow. 
In  the  small  garden  plot  there  may,  after  all,  be  no  room 
for  vines.  But  the  gardener  who  has  a  little  more  room,  and 
who  wishes  to  have  something  grow,  like  a  wall,  between  him 
and  the  street,  may  well  use  vines  of  some  kind,  even  if  he 
uses  only  the  annuals.  And  one  who  has  the  chance  to  beau- 
tify his  home  should  call  vines,  as  well  as  shrubs  and  flowers, 
to  his  aid. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  special  use  and  value  of  vines  ?    What  three  kinds 
are  there  ?    How  do  vines  climb  ? 

2.  Name  any  annual  vines  that  you  would  like  to  grow. 

3.  Which  of  the  perennial  vines  have  you  seen?     Describe  a 
satisfactory  vine  growing  in  your  town. 

4.  Describe  the  kinds  of  trellises  you  have  seen. 

5.  Which  vine  would  you  most  like  to  have  growing  on  your 
house  ?    How  would  you  support  it  ? 


CHAPTER  XXXII 
THE  FRUIT  GARDEN 

I  DO  not  intend  to  discuss  in  this  book  the  orchard  fruits, 
but  shall  keep  to  the  kinds  which  young  people  can  set  out  and 
care  for  themselves,  and  which  will  yield  quickly.  Further, 
I  shall  speak  of  only  the  common  kinds  of  fruits  and  berries. 

Easy  to  cultivate,  and  best  in  yielding,  is  the  strawberry. 
It  is  usually  planted  in  the  vegetable  garden,  in  rows,  and 
in  good  ground  should  remain  but  two  seasons  before  it  is  dug 
up.  The  plants  can  be  most  conveniently  set  in  pairs  of 
rows,  two  feet  apart,  or  less,  and  eighteen  inches  apart  in  the 
rows.  Once  set,  there  are  two  methods  of  taking  care  of  them. 

The  first,  hill  culture,  is  simple.  When  once  they  are 
established,,  strawberry  plants  send  out  runners,  to  make  new 
plants.  In  hill  culture  all  these  are  cut  off  as  soon  as  they 
appear.  Each  plant  then  forms  several  crowns,  which  in  the 
second  year  make  many  berries. 

Matted  row  culture  is  different  in  allowing  the  plants  each 
to  set  runners  (that  is,  to  allow  them  to  root)  until  the  whole 
double  row  is  covered  with  plants  standing  about  nine  inches 
apart.  This  must  be  carefully  regulated  by  the  gardener, 
who  should  fix  the  runners  in  place  by  stones,  pegs,  or  hand- 
fuls  of  earth,  so  that  they  shall  be  properly  spaced.  Other- 
wise the  runners  will  crowd  in  some  places,  leaving  others 
bare.  When  once  the  row  is  filled,  all  new  runners  should 
be  cut  off.  Each  plant  will  now  form  a  crown,  which  will 
make  next  year's  berries. 

229 


230 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


For  hill  culture,  the  paths  between  the  pairs  of  rows  should 
be  two  feet  wide ;  for  matted  rows,  three  feet,  counting  from 
the  centers  of  the  outer  rows. 

Each  method  has  its  advantages  and  disadvantages,  and 
the  yield  is  about  the  same,  though  the  hilled  berries  are 
larger.  The  hills  require  more  care  in  cultivating  and 
pruning,  the  matted  rows  in  weeding.  When  the  bed  has 
fruited  once,  it  is  either  dug  up,  or  very  carefully  weeded,  and 


^^v 


l^^^s^SK^  -  ^^ 

**  ^5*.  ^— "    ~^"  -    *•*  J    ^^ 


FIG.  122.  —  Strawberries,  matted  row  culture. 


every  old  or  spotted  or  red  leaf  plucked  off.  Some  gardeners 
merely  mow  with  a  lawn  mower,  but  the  hand  work  is  best. 
The  bed  should  then  be  fertilized,  and  tended  as  before.  In 
fertilizing  a  matted  row,  sow  the  fertilizer  when  the  plants 
are  dry ;  then  go  over  the  bed  with  a  broom,  and  brush  the 
chemical  from  the  plants. 

Strawberry  plants  may  be  bought  of  dealers  at  two  sea- 
sons of  the  year.  The  first  is  early  spring,  when  the  plants 
have  not  yet  started.  Only  young  plants  should  be  accepted ; 
the  roots  will  not  be  stiff  and  wiry.  The  second  season  is 


THE  FRUIT  GARDEN 


231 


midsummer,  after  the  growers  have  allowed  runners  to  root  in 
pots  sunk  in  the  beds.  The  potted  plants  are  wrapped  in 
paper,  and  carefully  shipped.  There  is  no  reason  why  home 
gardeners  cannot  set  new  beds  from  old  ones,  even  without 


FIG.  123.  — Young  strawberry 
plant,  with  many  soft  roots.  These 
should  be  trimmed,  as  here  shown. 


FIG.  124.  —  The  broken  runners 
from  the  crown,  and  the  hard  wiry 
roots,  show  this  strawberry  plant  to 
be  old. 


the  use  of  pots,  by  carefully  lifting  the  young  plants  with  a 
trowel,  taking  plenty  of  earth.1 

The  choice  of  varieties  is  usually  pretty  wide.  They 
classify  first  as  early,  medium,  and  late-season  plants,  and 
every  garden  should  have  some  of  each.  Then  there  are  two 


1  For  directions  for  setting  strawberries  and  other  plants,  see  pages  268 
and  269. 


232 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


other  classes  of  plants,  perfect  (or  staminate,  those  which 
have  stamens  as  well  as  pistils,  and  can  make  fruit  without 
help)  and  imperfect  (or  pistillate,  those  which  -have  pistils 
but  no  stamens,  and  therefore  need  staminate  plants  near  by 
to  help  them  make  fruit).  The  imperfect  yield  some  of  the 
finest  berries.  It  is  not  possible  to  recommend  any  of  these 

varieties  by  name,  since 
old   ones   die   out   and 
new  ones  are  bred  every 
little      while.      Again, 
different  ones  do  better 
in    different     districts ; 
and,  finally,  the  kind  of 
soil   is   important.     In 
choosing    varie- 
ties  you   should 
therefore  consult 
some    gardening 
neighbor,  or  the 
nearest  dealer  in 
plants,  who  will 
consider       both 

black-     vour       soil      ancj 

your  district. 

There  is  still  another  kind  of  strawberry,  which  has  recently 
had  success  —  the  kind  that  bears  all  summer.  There  are 
two  or  three  varieties.  The  early  blossoms  should  be  picked 
off,  and  the  plant  kept  from  blooming  until  the  ordinary 
strawberry  season  is  past.  Then  the  fruit,  coming  late,  is 
much  appreciated.  But  these  kinds  cannot  yet  be  said  to 
bear  fruit  as  good  as  the  common  strawberry. 

The  other  plants  of  which  I  shall  speak  do  not  yield  as 
quickly  as  the  strawberry.  Often  they  do  not  bear  a  good 


FIG.  125.  —  A  cluster  of  black  raspberries,  or 
caps." 


THE  FBUIT  GARDEN 


238 


crop  until  the  third  year.     But  on  the  other  hand  they  are 
all  long-lived. 

The  raspberry  follows  the  strawberry  next  in  the  garden 


FIG.  126.  —  A  spray  of  blackberries. 


year.  Raspberries  grow  differently,  having  a  root  set  deep 
underground,  and  sending  up  shoots  year  after  year.  Once 
set,  the  bed  will  not  give  out  for  a  long  time.  The  varieties 


234 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


are  early,  medium,  and  late,  and  had  best  be  selected  by 
local  dealers.  As  soon  as  a  cane  has  borne  once,  it  should  be 
cut  at  the  ground.  Do  not  let  too  many  new  shoots  start ; 
they  will  starve  each  other.  Raspberry  canes  should  either 
be  tied  to  wires,  or  cut  off  at  about  two  feet  from  the  ground. 
They  will  then  send  out  side  shoots,  which  the  cane  can  sup- 
port. If  disease 
gets  into  either 
the  crown  or  the 
leaves,  the  sickly 
plants  should  be 
cut  out.  If  the 
whole  bed  is  in- 
fected, it  should 
be  dug  up,  the 
plants  burned, 
and  new  ones 
planted  in  an- 
other place.  Do 
not  plant  them 
within  a  dozen 
feet  of  wild 
plants,  for  fear 
of  root  disease. 
Raspberry  rows  should  be  planted  six  feet  apart,  the  plants 
two  feet  apart  in  the  rows.  Treat  black  raspberries  just 
like  the  red. 

Blackberries  are  treated  in  almost  every  way  like  rasp- 
berries, except  that  they  should  be  in  rows  nine  feet  apart, 
the  plants  three  feet  in  the  rows.  They  grow  very  freely,  and 
send  up  many  shoots,  most  of  which  should  be  cut  out. 

Currants  are  still  another  kind  of  plant,  growing  like  a  small 
shrub,  and  treated  in  much  the  same  way.  Set  them  four 


FIG.  127.  —  The  larger  gooseberries  are  worth 
growing. 


THE  FRUIT  GARDEN 


235 


feet  apart.  When  a  branch  has  borne  once  or  twice,  and  is 
getting  woody  and  coarse,  cut  it  out.  New  shoots  will 
replace  it. 

Gooseberries  are  growing  in  popularity,  since  better  kinds, 
larger  and  sweeter, 
are  being  bred.  They 
yield  more  freely  than 
currants,  over  a  longer 
season,  and  should  be 
treated  "  much  the 
same.  Be  sure  to  get 
kinds  which  do  not  mil- 
dew in  your  locality. 

With  both  currants 
and  gooseberries 
watch  for  the  currant 
worm,  which  appears 
in  late  spring,  usually 
on  the  lower  part  of 
the  branches.  Poison 
him  with  hellebore. 

Grapes  are  the  latest 
berries  of  all,  and  are 
in  some  ways  the  best, 
at  least  after  the 
strawberry.  There 
are  many  kinds,  and 
one  should  have  at  least  one  early,  medium,  and  late 
kind,  to  make  the  season  longer.  They  should  be  set  nine 
feet  apart,  and  every  spring  should  be  carefully  pruned  before 
the  sap  starts.  Cut  out  most  of  last  year's  growth,  leaving 
from  ten  to  twenty  young  buds  to  make  the  wood  for  the  new 
fruit. 


FiG.  128.  —  Grapes  yield  well  with  little 
trouble. 


236 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


FIG.  129.  —  A  fair  crop  of  quinces. 


THE  FRUIT  GARDEN  237 

All  of  these  berries  can  be  grown  by  any  boy  or  girl,  to 
yield  while  the  owner  is  still  a  boy  or  girl.  Others  (the  mul- 
berry, the  wine-berry,  the  logan-berry)  can  be  added  to  the 
garden.  And  even  the  larger  fruit  can  be  added.  Apples, 
pears,  cherries,  and  other  such  fruit,  which  are  usually  grown 
on  trees,  if  grown  on  dwarf  roots  yield  fruit  a  year  or  more 
after  planting.  They  are  not  too  high  for  proper  tending, 
and  under  good  care  will  make  handsomer  fruit  than  the  full- 
sized  trees.  The  trees  must  be  bought,  and  should  be  planted 
and  tended  like  any  shrub.  Cut  out  all  branches  that  inter- 
fere, and  do  not  let  the  fruit  stand  nearer  than  six  inches  apart. 
Then  there  should  be  a  yearly  yield.  The  culture  of  dwarf 
fruit  trees  is  not  yet  very  popular,  but  the  trees  add  much 
to  the  garden. 

Quince,  which  grows  on  a  small  tree  or  a  large  bush,  ac- 
cording to  the  way  it  is  trained,  is  always  worth  growing, 
but  its  growth  is  slow.  Try  it  in  shrub  form,  and  treat  it 
like  any  shrub. 

In  all  cases  the  care  of  fruits  should  be  much  like  that  of 
the  vegetable  garden.  Fertilize  in  spring  with  potato  ferti- 
lizer, or  bone-meal  and  wood  ashes.  Cultivate  after  every 
rain,  and  let  no  weeds  grow.  In  August,  sow  a  cover-crop 
of  crimson  clover,  and  in  the  spring  dig  it  into  the  ground. 

At  first  the  beginner  will  be  slow  in  venturing  to  grow 
fruits.  But  in  many  gardens  a  plant  or  two  can  be  planned 
to  go  into  odd  corners,  to  add  a  little  variety  to  the  yield  of 
the  garden.  And  after  that  the  way  is  open  to  growing  more. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Describe  the  two  methods  of  cultivating  strawberries. 

2.  How  does  the  raspberry  plant  differ  from  the  strawberry  ? 

3.  Do  blackberries  and  raspberries  resemble  each  other?     What 
difference  is  there  in  the  way  in  which  they  are  planted  ? 


238  THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 

4.  How  do  you  prune  currants?    What  new  kinds  of  goose- 
berries are  interesting?    What  should  we  beware  of  in  choosing 
our  gooseberries?    What  is  the  pest  of  both  currants  and  goose- 
berries ? 

5.  In  what  way  can  we  grow  the  larger  fruits  most  quickly  ? 

6.  What  berries  and  fruits  would  you  like  to  grow?    Prepare 
a  plan  of  the  fruit  garden  that  you  would  enjoy  planting. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 
GARDEN  TOOLS 

WE  can  scarcely  work  the  garden  without  tools.  Let  me 
at  the  beginning  advise  particular  care  in  their  choice.  They 
should,  on  the  one  hand,  not  be  too  big  or  heavy  for  the 
worker's  strength.  A  boy  or  girl  working  with  a  tool  meant  for 
a  man  will  find  it  much  too  heavy  and  clumsy,  and  will  get  so 
tired  that  gardening  will  soon  seem  stupid  and  unprofitable. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  tools  should  not  be  too  light,  which 
usually  means  flimsy.  It  is  waste  of  money  to  buy  such  tools. 
Gardening  is  most  satisfactory  when  the  tools  are  "  just  right." 
Don't  use  men's  tools,  therefore,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  don't 
be  satisfied  with  the  first  set  of  child's  tools  that  is  offered  at 
the  grocery.  Go  to  the  hardwareman  and  ask  for  better 
tools,  and  if  he  cannot  help  you,  go  to  the  florist,  or  the  seeds- 
man. If  you  hunt  long  enough,  you  will  find  what  you  want, 
strong  but  light,  and  neither  too  big  nor  too  small. 

Although  such  tools  will  cost  a  little  more  than  cheap  ones, 
yet  they  will  outlast  them  many  times,  and  their  number  need 
not  be  great.  Indeed,  in  a  very  small  patch,  after  borrowing 
a  spade  or  fork  for  an  hour,  we  can  get  along  with  a  short 
pointed  stick.  New  York  City  children  in  the  poorer  sec- 
tions cultivate  their  little  gardens,  which  are  only  about  five 
feet  by  ten,  entirely  with  sticks  which  the  children  themselves 
shape  and  sharpen.  They  can  be  used  to  loosen  the  earth,  to 
dig  out  weeds,  to  make  furrows  for  planting. 

239 


240  THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 

For  bigger  gardens,  however,  and  even  for  little  ones,  it  is 
well  to  have  more  tools  in  order  to  do  the  work  faster  and 
better.  I  propose  to  speak  of  them  in  connection  with  the 
sort  of  work  that  is  to  be  done  with  them. 

For  digging  the  ground  we  need^a  spade,  or  a  fork.  Dig- 
ging the  patch  to  the  proper  depth  is  often  called  spading,  and 
the  fork  a  spading  or  digging  fork.  Very  excellent  little 
spades,  usually  called  boys'  spades,  can  be  bought,  suitable 
for  boys  or  girls  or  women.  Some  people  always  dig  with  the 
spade ;  for  my  own  part,  I  seldom  use  the  tool  except  to  dig 
a  hole  from  which  I  wish  to  remove  the  earth.  For  making 
the  earth  ready  for  planting,  I  prefer  the  fork,  since  it  breaks 
the  soil  into  finer  lumps  than  the  spade.  But  if  you  get  a 
fork,  get  a  good  one.  The  best  kind  has  a  strap  ferule,  that 
is,  a  ferule  with  bands  running  up  both  the  front  and  the 
back  of  the  handle  to  strengthen  it.  If  the  tool  is  not  so 
fortified,  the  handle  is  likely  to  break.  The  tines  are  flat. 

Some  people  prefer  a  manure  fork  for  spading.  It  is 
usually  made  of  very  good  steel,  and  the  tines  can  be 
shortened  to  any  degree.  But  its  handle  is  usually  much 
longer  than  a  boy  or  girl  can  easily  manage,  and  I  find  the 
round  tines  too  far  apart  for  satisfactory  digging. 

For  planting  and  cultivating,  entirely  different  tools  are 
required.  These  are  the  rake  and  the  hoe.  Hoes  of  all 
weights  can  be  bought,  and  every  one  can  suit  himself  as  to 
weight  or  length  of  handle.  The  best  hoes  have  blade  and 
ferule  all  in  one  piece,  and  the  ferule  is  riveted  to  the  handle. 
With  heavy  hoeing  on  rough  or  weedy  ground  the  tool  will 
not  come  apart.  Rakes  have  separate  ferules,  since  their 
work  is  lighter.  Their  teeth  should  be  not  less  than  an  inch 
and  a  half  long,  and  the  whole  rake  may  well  be  no  wider 
than  a  hoe.  For  in  a  small  garden  we  may  wish  to  have  the 
rows  of  small  plants,  like  radishes,  as  close  as  six  or  nine 


GARDEN   TOOLS  241 

inches  apart ;  and  a  full-sized  rake  cannot  get  in  between  the 
rows  for  cultivating. 

The  cultivating  tool  that  I  find  altogether  the  best  is  the 
so  called  weeding-hoe,  which  is  a  combination  of  rake  and 
hoe.  It  is  not  so  entirely  convenient  for  digging  out  a  deep 
furrow  as  is  a  real  hoe,  since  the  earth  falls  through  its  open- 
ings and  back  into  the  furrow.  But  it  will  open  a  shallow 
furrow  very  satisfactorily,  is  perfect  for  covering  seeds  or  for 
raking,  and  if  when  raking  one  comes  across  an  obstinate 
weed,  the  rake  is  turned  upside  down,  a  stroke  of  the  hoe- 
blade  cuts  the  weed,  and  then  one  can  go  to  raking  again. 
If  I  could  have  but  one  cultivating  tool  in  my  garden,  it 
should  be  a  weeding-hoe. 

For  marking  out  the  garden,  and  for  planting,  one  needs  a 
line  and  stakes  and  labels.  The  line  may  be  any  piece  of 
strong  string  of  sufficient  length.  If  you  wish  it  to  last  long, 
dip  it  in  melted  wax.  Extra  strong,  non-kinking  line  may  be 
bought  at  the  seedsman's.  The  line  may  be  wound  on  a 
stick,  kite-string  fashion ;  I  never  do  anything  else.  Or  you 
can  buy  or  make  a  kind  of  reel  on  a  stick  that  is  very  satis- 
factory, although  I  think  it  clumsy  for  anything  except  a 
very  long  line.  You  need  two  sticks,  of  course,  the  second 
for  the  end  of  the  row ;  over  it  is  looped  the  string.  Labels 
may  be  only  short  sticks  to  mark  the  ends  of  planted  rows 
in  gardens  so  small  that  the  owner  can  easily  remember  the 
kind  of  plant  and  the  date  of  planting.  But  for  larger  gar- 
dens it  is  not  well  to  rely  on  the  memory.  Make  the  labels 
flat  and  smooth  at  the  ends,  and  dip  these  in  white  paint. 
Then  you  can  write  on  them  the  variety  planted,  and  the 
date.  Labels  had  best  be  an  eighth  of  an  inch  thick,  in  order 
to  come  safely  through  accidents.  The  very  thin  ones  that 
one  buys  at  the  seedsman's  will,  if  stepped  on  when  hidden  by 
leaves,  snap  in  an  instant. 

R 


242 


THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 


A  basket  of  some  kind  is  almost  a  necessity  for  even  the 
smallest  garden.  Whatever  size  or  shape  it  may  be,  it  is 
useful  in  carrying  seeds  to  be  planted,  in  bringing  the  crop 
to  the  house,  or  in  receiving  the  weeds  when  one  is  cultivating. 


FIG.  130.  —  Compare  the  seedsman's  labels,  lying  across  the  others,  with 
the  heavier  ones  made  at  home  from  a  bunch  of  laths.  Which  would  be 
better  in  the  garden? 

Like  the  labels,  it  had  best  be  strong ;  but  the  flimsiest  basket, 
if  carefully  used,  will  do  much  service. 

In  a  large  garden  no  basket  will  do  all  the  necessary  work 
of  carrying  weeds,  rubbish,  and  stones,  away  from  the  garden. 
Then  one  must  get  a  wheelbarrow.  Like  the  spade  or  hoe, 
this  must  be  chosen  according  to  the  strength  of  the  worker. 
A  man's-size  barrow  is  much  too  large  for  a  boy,  even  for 
small  loads ;  and  if  the  work  is  to  be  done  with  any  comfort, 


GARDEN  TOOLS  243 

a  smaller  barrow  should  be  got.  But  it  should  be  well  made. 
Its  frame,  at  least,  should  be  of  hardwood  ;  the  wheel  also. 
The  axle  should  be  strong,  and  running  in  well-made,  firmly 
fastened  bearings.  In  other  words,  the  barrow  should  not  be 
a  toy. 

If  you  have  no  barrow,  but  instead  a  well-made  little 
express  wagon,  it  will  do  almost  as  well.  And  of  course,  if 
you  have  something  to  begin  with  that  is  good  enough  for  a 
while,  it  is  wise  to  be  content,  making  plans,  however,  for 
something  better  some  day. 

A  watering-pot,  or  a  share  in  one,  is  necessary  at  times.  We 
shall  wish  to  water  seeds  after  planting  in 
dry  ground,  or  the  seedlings  when  struggling 
in  a  drought,  or  larger  growths  which  have 
just  been  transplanted  or  are  beginning  to 
flower.  In  school  gardens  a  watering-pot 
will  serve  several  children.  At  home,  if  you 
have  nothing  better,  a  pail  will  do  if  only  you 
pour  from  it  with  great  care  not  to  wash  the  FlG-  131-  —  Your 
soil.  Pour  into  the  hand  held  close  to  the 


ground,  and  let  the  water  trickle  through 
the  fingers.  But  of  course  the  pot  is  best.  Get  a  good  one 
if  you  can.  Galvanized  ones  last  the  longest,  but  even  if 
we  have  them,  they  should  be  carefully  used.  They  should 
never  be  left  with  water  standing  in  them,  for  that  causes 
rust.  It  is  best  to  leave  them  turned  upside  down,  so  that 
every  drop  of  water  shall  drain  out. 

In  addition  to  such  tools  as  these,  which  are  frequently 
necessary,  a  trowel  is  very  hard  to  do  without.  True,  the 
spade  will  take  its  place  in  digging  a  hole,  but  it  is  heavy  and 
clumsy  to  use  with  one  hand.  The  trowel  is  a  valuable  tool 
for  use  in  transplanting.  Most  gardeners  use  the  curved 
trowel,  but  I  always  use  the  middle  or  large-sized  mason's 


244 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GAEDEN  BOOK 


FIG.  133.  —  The  finger- 
weeder. 


trowel,  with  the  more  rounded  point.  After  what  I  have  said 
about  strong  tools,  you  will  not  be  surprised  when  I  add  here 
that  a  light-weight  trowel,  that  will  bend  or  snap  easily,  is 
not  worth  buying.  That  is  one  reason 
why  I  prefer  the  mason's  trowel ;  it  is 
usually  very  strong. 

Other  tools  than  these  you  can  very 
well  dispense 
with,  but  there 
are  some  that  are 
worth  having. 
Weeders,  for 
example  (there 

are  many  kinds  and  shapes) ,  will  save  the 
fingers,  although  they  will  never  do  as 
good  work.  Small  hand-forks,  or  other 
tools  for  scratching  the  ground  when 
you  are  on  your  knees  before  the  garden- 
bed,  are  convenient.  Many  people  use 
FIG.  132.  — Weeders.  dibberg|  which  are  short-pointed  sticks  as 

large  round  as  a  man's  thumb,  for  making  holes  for  transplant- 
ing, or  even  for  lifting  plants.  I  must  acknowledge  that  I 
have  never  used  one,  since  it  seems  to  me 
that  a  trowel  is  better  for  both  purposes. 
But  you  may  find  them  very  handy. 

Other  larger  tools  can  be  had  for  cul- 
tivating, and  every  little  while  some  one 
patents  and  sells  a  new  one,  which  is 
supposed  to  be  better  than  the  old-style 
hoe  or  rake.  Most  of  them  are,  however,  no  improvement 
on  those  ancient  tools,  which  were  invented  with  the  dawn 
of  civilization,  and  which  men  have  used  ever  since.  There 
are  two  implements,  however,  of  which  you  should  know. 


FIG.  134. — Dibber. 


GARDEN  TOOLS 


245 


One  is  the  push-  or  scuffle-hoe,  a  hoe  which  has  a  blade 
which  the  user  pushes  before  him.  This  tool  has  several 
forms,  but  they  all  work  alike.  The  blade,  resting  on  or 
just  beneath  the  surface,  cuts  every  weed,  and  leaves  the 
surface  properly  broken  up.  It  is  good  in  soil  which  has  no 
stones,  and  is  very  handy  for  killing  weeds  under  overhang- 
ing bushes.  But  in  stony  soil  it  is  a 
dangerous  tool,  since  a  thrust,  turned 


FIG.  135.  —  Push-hoe, 
without  handle. 


FIG.  136.  —  A  "  pulling-hoe," 
homemade. 


FIG.  137.  —  Wheel-hoe,  aside  by  a  stone,  may  kill  a  valuable 
plant  instead  of  a  weed.  In  stony  soil 
a  "  pulling-hoe  "  (see  Fig.  136)  is  better. 

The  other  tool  is  the  wheel-hoe,  which  is  a  labor-saver  for 
workers  in  large  vegetable  gardens.  Behind  the  wheel,  or 
wheels,  may  be  fastened  hoe-blades,  rakes,  cultivator  teeth, 
and  even  little  plowshares,  which  do  their  work  as  the  gar- 
dener pushes  the  tool  before  him  while  walking  between  the 
long,  straight  rows.  The  work  of  cultivating  a  vegetable 


246  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

garden  is  much  lightened  by  such  a  tool,  which  may  be  had  in 
several  shapes  and  sizes,  even  small  and  light  enough  for  a 
twelve-year  boy  or  girl. 

Planting  machines  are  of  use  in  vegetable  gardens  of  much 
size,  but  again  the  soil  must  be  free  of  stones.  If  the  tool 
keeps  striking  stones  as  big  as  one's  fist,  the  plants  will  come 
up  in  very  wobbly  lines.  These  tools  are  expensive  and  com- 
plicated, and  are  usually  too  heavy  for  children. 

If  your  garden  is  so  small  that  you  will  be  able  to  sift  the 
surface  earth  over  your  seeds,  by  all  means  get  a  sieve.  An 
ordinary  ash  sieve  will  do,  but  you  can  make  a  finer  one  by 
taking  the  top  and  bottom  from  a  shallow  box,  and  tacking 
on  some  common  fly-screening. 

It  will  be  helpful  if  you  mark  on  the  handles  of  your  hoe 
and  fork  the  measures  that  you  are  likely  to  use  in  the  gar- 
den. Three,  six,  and  nine  inches,  and  then  the  feet  and  half 
feet  up  to  a  yard,  are  quite  enough. 

And,  finally,  keep  your  tools  in  good  condition.  First, 
clean  every  one  when  you  have  finished  with  it.  Caked  dirt 
on  the  handle  will  blister  your  palms,  and  earth  on  the  blade 
will  make  it  rust.  An  unrusted  tool  will  last  much  longer, 
and,  again,  it  will  do  its  work  better.  Try  working 
with  a  rusty  trowel,  and  see  how  troublesome  it  is  to  have 
the  earth  stick  to  the  blade.  Then  try  a  clean  tool,  and  see 
how  neatly  it  does  its  work.  Tools  cannot  properly  be 
cleaned  by  washing ;  they  will  rust  if  not  wiped  dry.  Clean 
them  with  dry  earth,  or  sand ;  or  else  with  a  piece  of  wood,  or 
the  hand.  Simply  rub  off  the  clinging  soil. 

When  they  have  been  cleaned,  hang  your  tools  separately 
on  the  wall. 

Tools  need  not  be  many,  but  they  should  be  good  ones, 
light  and  strong.  A  good  gardener  is  known  by  his  garden, 
to  be  sure ;  but  we  can  find  out  something  about  him  if  we 
notice  how  he  keeps  his  tools. 


GARDEN   TOOLS  247 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  kind  of  tools  should  one  buy  for  gardening?    Are  yours 
satisfactory  oc  not  ?    Why  not  buy  men's  tools  ?    Or  toys  ? 

2.  What  kind  of  a  ferule  should  your  fork  have  ?    Why  ? 

3.  Describe  your  hoe.    Your  rake.       How  should  you  like  to 
change  them? 

4.  How  few  tools  can  you  get  along  with  ?    How  many  should 
you  like  ?    How  could  you  justify  the  extra  expense  ? 

5.  Why  should  you  clean  your  tools  after  using?    Why  put 
them  away? 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

PREPABING  THE  SOIL 

WE  have  wisely  settled  the  position  of  the  garden  without 
taking  into  account  the  present  condition  of  its  soil.  If  it 
is  too  wet  or  too  dry,  too  sandy  or  too  clayey,  we  will 
change  all  that.  Still  less  ought  we  to  be  afraid  of  a  good 
soil  that  appears  to  be  full  of  weeds,  witch-grass,  or  stones, 
o>r  which  just  now  happens  to  be  covered  with  rubbish. 
These  are  much  easier  to  change  than  the  nature  of  the  soil 
itself. 

First  we  set  to  work  to  clear  the  surface  of  all  loose  things. 
We  divide  them  into  two  classes.  Tin  cans,  old  wood,  stones, 
and  rubbish  of  all  kinds,  should  be  put  forever  out  of  the  way. 
If  there  is  a  stone  wall  near  by,  chink  it  with  the  stones. 
Wheel  all  the  rest  to  the  rubbish  heap.  In  case  there  are 
no  such  conveniences  as  wall  and  rubbish  heap,  dig  a  deep 
hole  in  the  garden  itself,  and  pack  the  rubbish  into  it.  To  do 
so,  break  all  glass  and  earthenware,  and  flatten  the  tins. 
Pack  the  rubbish  carefully,  and  stamp  it  down  as  compactly 
as  possible.  The  top  of  the  rubbish  should  be  eighteen 
inches  underground. 

The  second  class  consists  of  those  things  which  will  easily 
and  quickly  rot.  Leaves,  dead  grass,  vines,  anything  of  the 
sort,  should  be  carried  to  some  out-of-the-way  place,  prefer- 
ably a  shady  one,  and  there  piled.  At  the  end  of  a  year  these 
dead  and  now  useless  things  will  begin  to  form  the  best  of 
soil.  Call  the  heap  the  compost  heap,  and  on  it  put  every- 

248 


PREPARING   THE  SOIL  249 

thing  of  the  same  sort.  All  weeds,  pea-pods,  stems,  and  dead 
plants  should  be  cast  here.  Prevent  anything  from  sprout- 
ing on  the  heap,  unless  of  your  own  accord  you  plant  on  or 
near  it  squashes  or  vines  to  cover  it  and  make  it  sightly. 
If  you  do  this,  or  .if  you  keep  the  heap  neatly  squared  and 
flattened,  there  is  no  reason  why  you  should  not  have  it  in 
full  sight.  And  then,  whenever  you  are  in  need,  you  can  go 
to  the  compost  heap  as  to  a  bank,  and  draw  out  good  soil 
for  your  garden. 

While'you  are  beginning  this  pile,  you  should  decide  whether 
the  grass  on  the  garden  ought  to  be  cut  also,  and  stacked 
there/  Short  grass,  or  small  weeds,  may  readily  be  dug  into 
the  ground.  But  if  they  are  very  long,  then  they  had  best 
go  to  the  pile. 

Next  comes  the  question,  must  the  soil  be  drained  ?  If, 
on  digging  in  the  early  spring  or  soon  after  a  rain,  you  find 
that  water  stands  in  a  hole  eighteen  inches  deep,  and  will 
only  slowly  drain  away,  then  probably  you  have  a  hardpan 
or  clay  subsoil,  and  the  land  ought  to  be  drained.  Or  if  you 
go  out  after  a  heavy  rain,  and  find  that  over  the  whole  garden, 
or  on  parts  of  it,  the  water  stands  in  puddles  for  some  hours, 
then  pretty  surely  the  garden  needs  draining. 

This,  to  be  properly  done,  is  a  work  for  men.  The  work  is 
heavy.  But  if  the  garden  is  not  very  large,  and  your  courage 
is  good,  you  can  do  something  at  it  yourself.  In  the  back  of 
the  book  I  put  an  explanation  of  how  this  is  done. 

But  perhaps  you  wonder  why  we  drain  the  land.  If  drains 
lead  the  water  away,  how  are  the  plants  to  live,  especially  in 
time  of  drought  ?  Well,  we  shall  be  doing  to  the  garden  only 
what  we  did  to  the  potted  plant,  in  leaving  a  hole  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  pot.  The  drains  can  never  lead  all  the  water 
away,  since  the  soil  holds  much  by  capillary  action.  Drains 
merely  take  away  the  water  that  stands  too  high  in  the  soil. 


250 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


When  this  has  been  done,  the  soil  is  warmer,  and  the  plants 
can  root  deeper.  Then  when  a  drought  comes,  the  deep 
roots,  boring  for  water,  can  well  supply  their  plants,  while 
shallow-rooted  plants  are  not  prepared  for  the  sudden  loss  of 
their  supply. 

Once  the  soil  is  drained  (and  mind  you,  most  soils  have  a 
subsoil  that  does  the  work  already),  the  loam  is  to  be  dug. 


FIG.  138.  FIG.  139. 

In  undrained  land  (Fig.  138)  the  roots  are  shallow.     In  drained  land 
(Fig.  139)  they  are  deep.     Explain  the  reason,  and  the  advantage. 

It  is  true  that  for  a  garden  that  is  to  last  for  a  number  of 
years,  the  soil  ought  to  be  trenched.  In  the  back  of  the 
book  I  explain  a  good  method  of  trenching,  which  can  be 
practiced  by  any  one  with  success.  But  it  is  hard  and  costly 
work,  and  most  of  us  avoid  it. 

Ordinary  digging,  or  spading,  which  comes  next,  should  be 
properly  and  carefully  done.  A  large  garden  is  usually 
plowed.  A  small  garden,  however,  must  be  spaded,  and  in 
most  parts  of  the  old  world  people  still  spade  all  their 
gardens.  In  fact,  it  is  usually  a  better  method  than  plowing. 


PREPARING    THE  SOIL 


251 


There  are  two  ways  of  doing  it.  One  consists  in  simply  lift- 
ing the  earth  with  the  spade  or  fork,  and  dropping  it  again, 
turned  over,  on  the  spot  from  which  it  was  taken.  The  other 
consists  in  moving  the  whole  top  "spit"  (that  is,  the  top 
soil  to  the  depth  % 
of  your  spade)  of 
the  garden  six 
inches  or  a  foot 
in  one  direction, 
at  the  same  time 
turning  it  over. 
This  is  the  best 
method,  as  I  shall 
presently  show. 

But  before  we 
study  the  exact 
method,  just  a 
word  or  two 
about  the  use  of 
the  tools .  A 
spade  or  a  fork 
will  take  up  more 
or  less  earth  ac- 
cording to  the 
angle  at  which 
it  is  thrust  into 


FIG.    140.  —  Thrusting   in   the   spade, 
weight  do  the  work. 


Let  your 

the  earth.     Com- 
pare a  boy   who 

is  thrusting  his  spade  straight  down,  with  one  who  is  push- 
ing his  at  an  angle  away  from  him.  The  first  is  digging 
deeper.  Yet  he  does  not  have  to  lift  any  heavier  load  of 
earth  at  a  time  than  the  other  :  that  depends  on  the  thick- 
ness of  the  slice  of  earth  that  he  makes.  And  again,  when 


252  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

you  yourself  thrust  in  the  spade,  note  how  much  more  easily 
it  will  go  into  hard  ground  if  you  use  it  corner- wise.  Finally, 
be  careful  in  spading  to  use  the  weight  of  your  body  rather 
than  the  muscles  of  your  arms.  If  you  must  push  the  spade 
into  the  earth,  you  will  soon  tire ;  whereas  if  by  simply  lean- 
ing on  the  spade  you  do  the  work,  you  will  last  much  longer. 

The  action  of  spading,  then,  is  as  follows :  Your  tool 
should  be  so  tall  that  you  can  adjust  it  for  the  thrust  while 
standing  upright.  Set  it  in  position,  then  place  your  foot  on 
top  of  the  blade  of  the  spade,  or  on  the  shoulder  of  the  fork. 
Now,  leaning  forward  slightly,  throw  your  weight  on  the  tool, 
and  thrust  it  to  its  full  depth.  Next,  while  still  almost 
upright,  pry  on  the  upper  part  of  the  handle  and  break  the 
earth  loose.  Now  slide  the  lower  hand  down  to  the  very 
blade  of  the  tool,  still  prying  on  the  handle  with  the  other. 
You  are  ready  now  to  lift  the  spadeful  of  earth  with  the  least 
exertion.  Lift  it,  turn  it  over,  and  drop  it.  If  the  dropping 
does  not  break  up  the  lump,  strike  it  with  the  blade  of  the 
spade,  or  the  tines  of  the  fork.  You  will  soon  learn  how  to 
pulverize  it  with  the  fewest  blows.  One  ought  to  be  enough. 
Now  stand  upright,  and  get  a  moment's  ease  while  adjusting 
the  tool  for  the  next  thrust. 

In  spading  the  whole  garden,  I  do  as  follows:  Having 
imagined  the  garden  to  be  cut  into  a  series  of  strips,  from  four 
to  six  feet  wide,  I  spade  across  the  whole  of  the  first  strip, 
dropping  the  forkfuls,  not  on  the  spot  from  which  they 
were  first  taken,  but  nearly  a  foot  farther  away  from  me.  I 
have  thus  made  an  open  trench,  four  to  six  feet  wide,  and 
about  a  foot  deep. 

Into  this  open  trench  I  drop  the  next  forkfuls,  taking 
them  one  by  one  along  the  face  of  the  trench,  and  leaving 
another  trench  where  they  were  taken.  Thus  as  I  continue 
to  spade,  I  move  each  forkful  of  soil  a  foot  forward,  and  at 


PREPARING   THE  SOIL 


253 


the  same  time  the  trench  moves  backward,  until  the  strip  is 
finished.  At  the  end  of  this  bit  of  work  there  is  a  little  narrow 
trench  at  one  end;  and  at  the  other,  where  I  began,  there  is 
a  little  ridge.  But  with  cultivation  both  of  these  soondis- 


FIG.  141.  —  Keeping  the  trench    open.      This   is   the   best   method    of 

spading. 

appear.  I  then  go  back  to  the  starting  place  and  begin  my 
second  strip,  taking  pains,  as  old  gardeners  say,  to  "keep  the 
trench  open." 

The  advantages  of  this  method  are  very  plain.  With 
an  open  trench  one  very  soon  sees  if  the  spading  is  deep 
enough.  The  soil  is  not  merely  lifted  and  dropped,  a  method 
which  can  become  very  slovenly,  so  that  many  lumps  are  left 
covered  and  unbroken ;  it  is  moved  to  another  spot,  the  face 


254  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

of  the  trench,  where  lumps  are  easily  seen.  Anything  that 
will  decay  can  be  buried  in  the  bottom  of  the  trench.  If  one 
is  spading  in  manure,  or  is  turning  sod,  the  open  trench  shows 
exactly  how  the  work  is  being  done.  The  manure  can  be 
left  at  just  the  right  depth,  leaving  the  fine  earth  above  for  a 
seed  bed.  Or  the  sod  is  dropped  in  the  bottom  of  the  trench, 
face  down,  making  it  very  hard  for  the  roots  to  strike.  I  have 
in  this  way  dug  under  a  crop  of  rape  standing  eighteen  inches 
tall,  laying  it  deep  in  the  trench,  so  that  by  the  time  the 
roots  of  the  next  crop  reached  it,  it  was  already  rotting. 

Again,  spading  with  the  trench  open  allows  us  to  get  at  the 
subsoil.  If  this  is  very  hard  by  nature,  or  has  been  closely 
packed,  it  will  be  a  good  plan  to  loosen  it.  Make  the  trench 
as  wide  as  you  conveniently  can,  and  as  often  as  it  is  finished 
anew,  thrust  down  the  spade  through  the  bottom  and  into 
the  subsoil.  You  will  often  have  to  use  the  spade  corner- 
wise,  and  even  to  have  your  cuts  criss-cross  each  other,  in 
order  properly  to  break  up  the  subsoil.  Each  time  the 
spade  is  thrust  well  down,  pry  the  slice  loose,  and  then  -leave 
it ;  or  you  may  even  lift  it,  turn  it,  and  drop  it  back.  The 
latter  is  hard  to  do  without  mixing  with  the  loam  some  of  the 
gritty  subsoil. 

There  is  one  more  advantage  to  the  trench,  which  is  dis- 
covered as  soon  as  the  worker  tries  to  spade  a  piece  of  land 
that  is  full  of  witch-grass,  sorrel,  or  other  perennial  roots 
that  will  need  but  a  week  to  sprout  again.  There  is  only  one 
way  to  do  such  a  job  properly,  and  that  is  to  get  out  every 
root.  If  the  soil  is  merely  dropped  in  the  place  from  which 
it  was  lifted,  many  of  the  roots  are  covered  and  not  seen. 
If  they  are  strewn  on  the  face  of  the  trench,  they  are  de- 
tected at  once. 

Here  shows  the  superiority  of  the  fork  over  the  spade  in 
digging  sod-land.  With  a  close  sod,  the  fork  more  easily  tears 


PREPARING   THE  SOIL  255 

the  roots  apart.  And  when  the  object  is  to  get  out  the  roots, 
the  fork  is  a  great  help.  After  lifting  the  forkful  of  earth, 
the  loam  is  sifted  down  through  the  tines  of  the  fork,  the 
roots  are  left,  and  these  are  easily  tossed  on  to  little  heaps 
which  the  worker  jnakes  every  yard  or  two,  and  which  may 
be  collected  afterward.  Or  if  roots  fall  through  the  fork 
on  to  the  ground,  they  are  easily  lifted  with  the  tool,  to  pile 


FIG.  142.  —  A  root  of  witch-grass.     In  spading,  take  out  every  one  of  these. 


with  the  others.  With  the  spade  one  has  to  stoop  farther, 
and  lift  the  roots  with  the  hand. 

Of  course,  it  is  wise  to  take  out  every  stone  as  large  as  a 
hen's  egg.  Pile  them,  to  carry  away  later. 

Spading,  properly  done,  is  not  an  easy  task.  To  get  the 
greatest  possible  depth,  to  keep  the  trench  open,  to  take  out 
all  the  roots  that  will  sprout  again,  and  all  the  stones,  is  a 
painstaking  matter.  And  if  this  is  not  done,  what  is  the  re- 
sult ?  A  badly  spaded  garden  looks,  when  finished,  just  as  well 
as  a  well-spaded  one ;  but  one  sees  the  results  in  midsummer. 
The  roots  have  not  been  able  to  penetrate  into  the  unspaded 
ground,  the  plants  have  not  so  much  food  or  water,  and  the 
yield  is  poor.  There  has  been  a  hard  fight  with  the  perennial 
weeds.  Since  it  is  always  too  late  to  remedy  this  with  the 
present  crop,  the  only  thing  to  do  is  to  spade  thoroughly  at 
first.  Yet  I  have  never  found  it  an  uninteresting  task.  If  I 
hurry,  nothing  tires  me  more.  But  if  I  take  and  keep  my 
proper  pace,  with  a  moment  of  ease  between  every  two 


256  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

thrusts,  I  am  always  interested  in  the  brown  earth  that 
is  giving  up  its  secrets  before  me,  enjoying  its  mellow 
crumbliness,  its  odor,  and  the  knowledge  that  the  work  is 
good. 

So  much  for  spading  a  garden  of  which  the  soil  is  satisfac- 
tory. But  we  do  more  than  this  with  a  poor  soil.  There  are 
three  conditions  that  one  is  likely  to  meet :  extreme  lightness, 
which  means  a  dry  soil ;  extreme  heaviness,  which  means  a 
wet  and  late  and  cold  soil ;  and  sourness,  which  means  that 
most  plants  will  have  a  difficult  time.  The  remedy  in  each 
case  is  to  work  in  something  to  improve  the  ground. 

For  a  very  light  soil,  as  for  a  very  heavy  soil,  the  remedy 
is  the  same.  This  sounds  like  the  story  of  the  man  who 
warmed  his  fingers  and  cooled  his  porridge  by  blowing  from 
the  same  mouth ;  but  in  each  case  the  tale  is  true.  A  good 
dressing  of  manure  will  make  a  light  soil  hold  more  water, 
as  we  know  by  our  winter  experiments.  At  the  same  time 
the  light  and  loose  particles  of  manure  will  keep  the  clay  soil 
from  sogginess  by  providing  drainage  and  letting  in  the  air. 
There  is  one  more  thing  that  we  can  do  to  the  heavy  soil, 
and  that  is  to  spade  in  a  good  dressing  of  coarse  sand  or 
sifted  coal  ashes.  These  separate  the  fine  particles  of  the 
clay,  and  make  the  soil  drier  and  warmer. 

To  apply  manure  to  the  garden  seems  very  simple.  We 
simply  spread  it  in  a  layer  as  thick  as  we  can  afford  (from 
two  to  four  inches  is  a  good  dressing)  and  spade  it  in.  But 
there  are  two  things  to  remember.  In  the  first  place,  the 
manure  should  be  spaded  completely  under.  If  you  can  do 
it  in  no  other  way,  lay  the  manure  in  the  bottom  of  each 
trench  before  the  next  is  made.  In  the  second  place,  it 
should  be  of  the  right  kind.  It  should  be  of  horse  manure, 
or  of  horse  and  cow  manure  mixed;  less  than  half  of 
its  volume  should  be  bedding ;  the  bedding  should  be  straw  or 


PREPARING   THE  SOIL  257 

leaves,  and  not  sawdust,  which  is  slow  to  rot  and  makes 
the  garden  sour ;  and,  finally,  the  manure  should  be  as  well 
rotted  as  you  can  get.  Well-rotted  manure  shows  itself  not 
at  all  as  a  mixture  of  bedding  and  manure,  but  as  a  dark, 
finely  shredded  substance,  pretty  light  in  weight.  The 
nearer  it  is  to  this,  and  the  less  it  looks  like  fresh  manure, 
the  better  it  is.  You  see  it  must  not  have  been  allowed  to 
"burn"  (in  this  case  its  color  is  light) ;  it  must  have  been  kept 
moist,  and  it  must  have  been  Burned  and  mixed  many  times 
before  it- is  in  the  best  condition  for  the  garden. 

For  a  sour  soil  we  provide  lime,  putting  it  on  after  the 
garden  has  been  spaded.  This  not  only  makes  the  soil  sweet, 
but  also  makes  clay  more  open  in  texture,  and  sandy  loam 
more  close.  It  comes  in  many  forms,  of  which  the  commonest 
is  quicklime,  or  stone  lime,  which  should  be  laid  out  on  the 
soil  in  little  heaps,  and  allowed  to  slake.  When  it  has  all 
fallen  away  into  powder,  spread  it  over  the  whole  garden. 
The  amount  should  be  at  the  rate  of  at  least  a  pound  for  every 
five  square  yards.  Or  buy  the  lime  already  air-slaked, 
and  use  twice  as  much.  On  heavy  soil  use  more.  These 
are  the  best  and  surest  forms.  Other  kinds  are  agricultural 
lime,  gas  lime  (which  is  no  longer  very  well  thought  of),  marl, 
basic  slag,  and  wood  ashes.  But  as  the  quality  of  all  of 
these  varies  greatly,  be  sure  that  you  find  out  from  the 
dealer  how  much  lime  they  contain  per  pound.  Any  of 
them  should  be  scattered  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  after 
it  has  been  spaded,  and  then  should  be  raked  in. 

After  spading  comes  the  raking.  This  should  not  be  solely 
for  the  purpose  of  breaking  lumps.  The  fork  has  done 
most  of  that,  and  the  surface  should  be  rather  finely  grained, 
but  of  course  irregular.  The  rake  now  makes  everything 
smooth.  It  breaks  the  smaller  lumps,  takes  out  here  and  there 
a  weed  or  a  root  that  has  escaped  the  fork,  it  levels,  and  it 
s 


258  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

leaves  the  whole  garden  a  perfect  seed  bed.  But  mastery 
of  the  rake  is  not  easy.  One  must  learn  to  rake  deeper  or 
shallower,  according  to  need,  by  lowering  or  raising  the 
handle.  One  must  learn  how  to  fill  hollows  by  pushing  or 
pulling,  and  even  by  using  the  back  of  the  rake.  One  must 
train  one's  eye  to  know  when  the  surface  is  evenly  graded. 
And,  finally,  one  must  not  be  satisfied  with  anything  short  of 
a  "good  job." 

One  more  thing  every  gardener  should  know,  and  that  is  how 
to  use  the  hoe.  I  speak  now  of  preparing  a  large  surface 
which  has  already  been  spaded,  or  plowed,  but  in  which 
weeds  have  sprouted.  Since  spading  is  here  not  needed,  the 
hoe  is  the  weapon  to  be  used,  and  it  is  used  in  a  particular 
manner.  With  the  rake  one  works  backward,  leaving  behind 
a  perfectly  smooth  surface.  But  with  the  hoe  one  must  work 
forward,  and  tramp  on  the  ground  that  has  been  worked  on. 
This  is  because  of  the  nature  of  the  tool,  and  there  is  no  es- 
cape from  it.  We  begin,  as  with  spading,  by  imagining  the 
garden  cut  into  strips,  and  we  hoe  them  one  by  one.  Advanc- 
ing from  the  very  edge  of  the  bed,  we  slice  the  whole  surface 
with  short,  sharp  strokes.  This  action  moves  the  earth 
toward  us,  so  that  when  we  have  finished  with  a  strip,  its 
whole  surface  has  moved  a  little  in  the  direction  from  which 
we  have  come.  We  cut  to  the  depth  of  two  inches  or  more ; 
a  skillful  and  determined  worker  will  slice  to  the  full  depth  of 
his  blade.  As  we  go  we  take  pains*  to  cut  every  weed  at  or 
below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  so  that  when  severed  from  its 
root  it  will  die.  The  work  is  easier,  we  soon  shall  find,  if 
we  strike,  not  with  the  whole  edge  of  the  blade,  but  with  one 
of  the  corners.  We  shall  be  wise,  also,  to  sharpen  the  edge, 
from  time  to  time,  with  a  coarse  file.  We  shall  discover  that 
much  of  the  work  can  be  done  by  the  weight  of  the  hoe  in 
falling,  and  that  we  shall  not  have  to  lift  it  very  high.  But 


PEEPAEING   THE  SOIL  259 

every  now  and  then  a  stout  weed  will  need  a  higher  lift 
and  a  harder  blow.  Every  little  while,  as  we  move  forward, 
we  should  turn,  and  with  a  stroke  or  two  loosen  up  the  soil 
where  we  have  stood.  The  straighter  we  stand,  the  easier 
the  work  is,  except  that  to  bend  forward  a  little  is  natural  in 
hoeing. 

After  such  work  the  rake  must  of  course  go  over  the  ground. 
There  will  be  weeds  to  gather  and  wheel  away,  and  the  whole 
surface  to  be  fined  and  leveled.  In  a  large  garden  the  wheel- 
hoe  smooths  quickly,  after  the  weeds  have  been  taken  away. 

A  valuable  addition  to  the  home  garden  is  a  seed  bed,  a 
patch  that  in  many  cases  need  be  only  a  few  feet  square. 
Since  it  is  chiefly  for  the  raising  of  seedlings  until  they  are 
large  enough  to  be  set  in  the  open  ground,  and  since  usually 
only  such  quick-growing  and  shallow-rooted  plants  as  lettuce, 
cress,  and  radish  are  allowed  to  grow  to  full  size  in  it,  the  loam 
need  not  be  more  than  a  few  inches  deep.  But  the  surface 
must  be  extremely  fine,  and  should  be  carefully  worked  over 
with  the  rake  until  the  very  smallest  lump  is  broken.  Indeed, 
.it  is  quite  worth  while  to  sift  the  upper  two  inches  of  the 
surface  through  an  ash  sieve,  to  make  sure  that  it  is  fine 
enough.  The  lighter  and  warmer  the  soil  is,  the  better  it  will 
be  for  the  purpose.  Any  manure  that  is  worked  in  should  be 
extremely  well-rotted.  Besides  all  this,  the  seed  bed  should 
have  full  sun,  and  protection  from  the  cold  winds. 

One  of  the  most  discouraging  things  is  to  discover  that 
because  of  some  carelessness  or  haste  in  spading,  the  garden 
is  still  full  of  witch,  or  quack,  or  piper  grass.  This,  with 
its  many  rootstocks,  speedily  sprouts  and  occupies  the 
ground.  The  best  remedy  is  to  spade  again,  slowly  taking  out 
every  root.  The  next  is  to  hoe  every  few  days,  cutting  every 
spear  that  shows  itself.  After  a  month  the  soil  will  be 
free  of  the  grass.  But  in  case  the  garden  has  been  planted, 


260 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


FIG.  143.  —  Wheel-hoe  leveling  the  soil  which  it  has  just  plowed. 

the  only  thing  to  do  is  to  disregard  the  present  crop,  and  to 
kill  every  root  that  sprouts.  Take  a  trowel,  and  on  your 
hands  and  knees  dig  out  every  one.  It  is  tiresome  work, 
but  it  pays.  Three  times  thus  I  went  over  a  potato  patch 


PEEPAEING   THE  SOIL 


261 


where  the  witch-grass  was  thick.  Each  time  the  work  was 
easier,  and  since  then  no  witch-grass  has  appeared  in  the 
garden.  And  although  I  must  have  dug  through  every  hill, 
the  potatoes  yielded  well. 


FIG.  144.  —  A  seed  bed  nursing  transplanted  tomatoes. 

The  lesson  of  such  an  experience  is  that  it  pays  to  prepare 
the  soil  properly.  Few  things  are  more  important  in  garden- 
ing. And  when,  with  spade  or  fork,  with  hoe  and  with  rake, 
the  garden  has  been  worked  over,  there  is  great  satisfaction 
in  the  sight.  After  the  waiting  of  winter,  few  things  are 
pleasanter  to  look  upon  than  a  garden  ready  for  the  seed  — 


262  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

especially  if  we  have  done  the  work  ourselves  and  know 
that  it  has  not  been  skimped. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Do  you  need  to  drain  your  garden  ?    If  so,  how  will  you  do  it  ? 

2.  Explain  the  use  of  the  fork  or  spade  in  digging. 

3.  What  is  meant  by  " keeping  the  trench  open"?     This  is  not 
the  same  as  trenching.     Can  you  explain  the  difference  ?     (See 
Appendix.) 

4.  Is  spading  easy  ?    When  does  one  find  the  difference  between 
a  well  and  a  badly  spaded  garden  ?     Why  not  earlier  ? 

5.  Explain  the  difference  in  the  way  of  using  the  rake  and  the  hoe. 

6.  What  is  a  seed  bed  ?    What  is  its  value  ? 

7.  Tell  how  to  kill  bad  perennial  weeds,  such  as  witch-grass. 


'CHAPTER  XXXV 
PLANTING 

ON  the  first  day  after  the  garden  is  ready,  if  the  soil  be  not 
too  moist",  we  are  likely  to  wish  to  begin  the  planting.  This 
may  be  proper  for  perennial  roots,  but  for  seeds  the  objection 
is  that  we  may  be  forcing  the  season.  There  is  sometimes  a 
little  difference  between  the  time  when  the  ground  is  ready 
to  be  worked  and  the  proper  time  to  plant.  Watch  the  old 
gardeners  in  your  neighborhood,  and  see  if  they  are  at  work. 
Remember  that  you  will  not  lose  much  by  waiting  a  day  or 
two  till  the  weather  becomes  settled.  Heavy  frosts,  or  a 
cold,  rainy  week,  might  do  much  damage.  The  later  planted 
crops  will  nearly  catch  up  with  the  earlier ;  while  if  the  early 
planted  ones  fail,  the  loss  is  considerable.  Remember 
again  that  there  is  no  real  hurry  in  planting  the  whole- 
season  crops :  a  few  days  in  the  fall  makes  no  difference 
whatever ;  it  is  with  the  short-season  crops  that  we  are  usually 
in  a  hurry.  Finally,  distinguish  carefully  between  the  hardy 
and  tender  crops.  You  can  plant  sweet  peas  and  radish 
very  early  in  the  spring,  and  frosts  will  not  do  them  serious 
hurt ;  but  nasturtiums  and  beans  must  wait  till  the  danger 
of  frosts  is  past. 

Thus  you  see  that  for  your  planting  you  must  make  a 
time-table  as  well  as  a  plan.  Study  the  table  in  the  Appendix. 

When  you  begin,  follow  the  garden  plan.  If  it  was  made 
to  measure,  you  can  by  means  of  it  locate  every  row,  or 
every  group,  exactly. 

263 


264  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Next,  consider  how  deep  each  kind  of  seed  is  to  go.  While 
indoors  and  in  the  frames  we  planted  pretty  shallow ;  out  of 
doors  the  seeds  go  deeper.  At  least  an  eighth  of  an  inch  is 
the  shallowest  that  I  recommend  for  out  of  doors,  except 
in  the  case  of  the  wettest  of  soil  (in  such  soil  always  plant 
shallower)  or  of  very  delicate  seeds,  of  which  my  planting 
table  will  warn  you.  The  larger  seeds  are  always  planted 
deeper  than  the  little  ones,  so  that  by  the  time  you  get  to 
the  lima  beans,  they  may  go  nearly  two  inches  deep.  But 
again,  in  very  wet  soil  the  depth  should  be  less,  say  an  inch. 
Besides  these  depths  of  coverings,  I  always  scatter  over  the 
seeds  a  little  loose  earth,  to  dry  into  a  dust-mulch  and  pre- 
vent the  soil  from  drying  or  caking. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  different  ways  of  planting  seeds. 
The  commonest  method  is  in  rows  or  drills,  in  the  vege- 
table garden  or  the  flower  border.  For  this  a  line  must  be 
carefully  stretched  (tightly,  so  that  it  shall  not  sag  or  sway) 
and  below  it  the  earth  must  be  dug,  with  the  corner  of  the 
hoe,  to  the  proper  depth.  As  I  always  find  it  difficult  to  dig 
just  beneath  a  string,  I  usually  set  the  line  a  couple  of  inches 
to  one  side,  and  make  my  furrow  parallel  with  it.  This 
must  be  done  with  much  care,  especially  for  small  seeds, 
since  the  depth  should  everywhere  be  the  same. 

Into  the  furrow  the  seed  should  be  dropped.  To  do  this 
properly  is  delicate  work,  since  the  distances  should  be 
regular.  Sift  the  seed  out  of  the  corner  of  the  envelope; 
or,  holding  the  seed  in  your  palm,  shake  it  out  sidewise.  If 
the  wind  is  blowing,  you  must  hold  your  hand  low,  or  the 
seed  will  be  lost.  With  valuable  seed,  such  as  cauliflower 
or  petunia,  it  is  well  to  set  each  one  just  where  it  is  wanted. 
But  the  number  of  seed  that  is  sowed  out  of  doors  should  be 
more  than  if  sowed  in  the  house.  There  will  be  greater 
loss,  from  drought  or  frost  or  cutworms,  and  we  must  have 


PLANTING  265 

enough  plants  left  to  grow.  Sow  twice  as  many  as  in 
flats  (or  consult  Appendix  D  for  information  about  vege- 
table seed) ;  set  the  smallest  every  eighth  of  an  inch,  with 
peas  and  beans  almost  touching  each  other.  This  seems 
extravagant  sowing,  and  in  a  good  year  will  mean  much 
thinning;  but  in  a  bad  year  such  generosity  may  save  the 
crop. 

Now  carefully,  with  the  hoe  or  with  the  back  of  the  rake, 
scrape  the  earth  back  into  the  furrow.  This  again  is  a  deli- 
cate task,  for  it  should  be  distributed  evenly. 

Next,  press  down  the  earth  over  the  row  of  seeds.  This  is 
so  that  the  moisture  of  the  earth  shall  get  at  the  seeds 
quickly.  The  work  can  be  done  by  tamping  with  the  flat 
face  of  the  hoe,  or  by  walking  along  the  row,  tramping  every 
inch  of  it. 

As  I  have  said,  I  never  consider  the  planting  finished  until 
with  the  rake  I  have  drawn  a  little  loose  earth  over  the  drill. 
By  keeping  the  earth  from  drying  or  baking,  this  greatly 
helps  the  sprouting  of  the  plants. 

Such  is  ordinary  planting.  But  I  like  to  add  one  more 
direction  —  the  putting  of  fertilizer  where  the  seedlings 
will  quickly  find  it.  This  is  easily  done  by  making  the  furrow, 
at  the  very  first,  an  inch  or  two  deeper  than  for  the  seed. 
Into  the  furrow  I  strew  the  fertilizer  which  will  be  best  for 
the  plant,1  taking  care  that  none  of  it  falls  above  the  level 
where  the  seed  are  to  go.  I  do  this  generously,  a  good  hand- 
ful to  every  yard.  Then  I  cover  the  fertilizer  with  care  to 
the  proper  depth,  and  sow  the  seed.  The  rootlets  will  soon 
find  the  food  that  is  waiting  for  them. 

Sowing  in  hills  may  be  simple  or  complicated,  just  as  we 
are  hurried  and  skimpy,  or  leisurely  and  generous.  If  hasty, 
after  stretching  the  line,  we  plant  seeds  in  little  holes  at  the 

1  See  chapter  on  Chemicals. 


266  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

proper  distances  and  depths,  cover,  pack  down,  muich,  and 
leave  them.  This  leaves  at  each  spot  several  seeds  crowded 
together  where  but  one,  or  a  few,  are  to  stand. 

A  much  better  way  is  to  loosen  the  earth  afresh  at  that 
point,  and  then  to  take  out  the  upper  few  inches.  Into  the 
soil  thus  uncovered,  dig  fertilizer,  or  (since  plants  that  are 
to  go  in  hills  need  food  to  grow  vigorously)  a  generous  spade- 
ful of  compost  or  well-rotted  manure.  Cover  with  a  little 
earth,  and  plant  the  seed,  not  close  together,  but  over  a 
circle  as  large  as  a  dinner  plate.  To  guard  against  accidents, 
plant  twice  as  many  as  you  will  need.  Cover  the  seed,  firm 
the  earth,  and  mulch  the  place. 

The  planting  of  flower  seed  may  sometimes  take  different 
forms  from  any  of  this.  Some  flower  seeds  are  very  tiny, 
and  need  to  be  merely  scattered  on  the  soft  earth,  pressed  in, 
and  mulched.  The  distances  are  seldom  to  be  measured 
exactly,  but  with  the  aid  of  the  plan  may  be  spaced  by  the 
eye.  The  depth  should  be  carefully  studied  and  accurate, 
and  food  of  some  sort  should  be  placed  beneath,  unless  you 
are  sure  your  garden  is  very  rich. 

One  thing  should  always  be  remembered  in  the  planting 
of  seed,  and  that  is  that  the  spot  should  always  be  marked. 
At  the  ends  of  rows  set  stakes  or  labels,  on  one  of  which 
should  be  marked  the  name  of  the  plant,  and  the  date  of  sow- 
ing. I  prefer  to  do  this  in  pencil  on  a  common  shipping 
tag  tied  to  the  stake ;  the  writing  will  last  all  summer ;  but 
the  envelope  on  which  the  seed  came  may  be  used  for  the 
purpose,  if  only  it  is  secured  against  blowing  away.  This  is 
in  case  stakes  are  used.  With  real  labels,  write  on  the  wood. 
These  memoranda  will  not  only  remind  us  of  the  kind  of  seed 
planted,  but  will  serve  as  a  guide  and  a  warning  when  we  wish 
to  work  in  the  garden  before  the  seedlings  are  up. 

The  planting  of  tubers,  such  as  potatoes  and  dahlias,  is 


PLANTING  267 

a  somewhat  different  matter.  They  should,  to  begin  with, 
be  separated  from  each  other  if  they  come  in  clumps.  Next, 
if  they  are  large  and  have  more  than  one  bud,  or  eye,  they 
may  be  cut  into  pieces,  each  piece  having  one  eye  or  more, 
with  as  much  as  possible  of  the  starchy  matter.  These 
may  now  be  planted  separately.  Three  inches  is  the  least 
depth  at  which  they  should  be  planted,  and  generally  four 
is  better,  unless  the  soil  is  very  damp. 
Make  the  earth  rich  beneath  them,  cover, 
firm,  label,  and  mulch. 

To  plant  bulbs  requires  a  somewhat 
similar  process.  Bulbs  should  not  go  into 
wet  ground,  and  if  the  earth  is  pretty  FIG.  145. —  Seed- 
moist,  each  should  be  set  upon  a  little  ^planting.  °'rea  Y 
bed  of  sand,  put  at  the  bottom  of  the 
hole.  The  depth  varies  with  the  kind  of  bulb,  but  should 
always  be  enough,  in  order  to  stiffen  the  stalk  which  is  to 
carry  the  heavy  flower.  Generally  speaking,  bulbs  should 
be  covered  to  at  least  three  times  their  height.  Be  sure  to 
set  them  right  side  up ;  the  bottom  can  be  known  by  the  scar 
of  separation  from  the  parent. 

The  setting  of  perennial  roots  should  by  this  time  be  a 
simple  matter,  if  one  has  first  practiced  on  seed,  tubers,  and 
bulbs.  To  begin  with,  since  the  plant  is  to  stay  in  the  same 
place  for  years,  the  ground  should  be  made  as  rich  as  possible. 
Compost,  manure,  and  slow-yielding  fertilizers,  such  as  bone- 
meal,  should  be  dug  into  the  earth  to  a  depth  of  two  or  three 
feet  whenever  possible,  taking  out  the  subsoil  for  the  purpose, 
and  filling  in  with  loam.  The  more  thoroughly  this  is  done 
at  the  first,  the  better  will  be  the  yield,  but  fresh  manure 
should  never  be  allowed  to  come  near  seed  or  bulb  or  root. 
In  this  earth  the  root  should  be  set  at  the  distance  to  which 
it  was  originally  buried.  This  can  usually  be  found  by  study- 


268  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

ing  the  stalk.  The  root  may  be  fibrous,  as  with  the  Japan 
iris,  blackberry,  and  most  shrubs;  or  it  may  be  tuberous, 
as  with  the  German  iris  and  peony ;  but  in  any  case  no  air 
spaces  should  be  left.  The  earth  should  be  packed  in  snugly 
around  and  among  the  roots ;  it  should  then  be  watered,  in 
order  to  settle  it  well.  Then  mulch  the  place  and  mark  it. 

Strawberries  need  a  few  directions  to  themselves.  It  is 
important  that  the  crown  of  this  plant  should  be  set  just  at 
the  surface  of  the  ground.  Therefore  the  plant  should 
neither  be  in  a  little  hollow,  into  which  soil  can  wash,  nor 
upon  a  little  hummock,  from  which  soil  can  wash  away. 

And,  finally,  whatever  seed  is  to  be  planted,  or  root  is 
to  be  set,  thoroughness  and  care  are  very  necessary.  As 
with  the  digging  of  the  ground,  the  finished  work  looks 
just  the  same  at  first,  whether  it  be  well  or  badly  done. 
But  when  the  summer  tests  the  work  by  the  growing  of  the 
plant,  then  the  careless  or  hasty  or  skimpy  gardener  will 
see,  by  the  poor  growth,  that  it  would  have  paid  him  to  do 
the  work  well. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  is  it  not  always  safe  to  plant  in  spring  as  soon  as  the 
ground  is  dug  ? 

2.  Compared  with  planting  in  flats,  how  deep  do  you  plant  out 
of  doors  ? 

3.  Why  do  we  need  to  use  a  line  in  planting  vegetables  ? 

4.  Explain  how  to  plant  in  rows.     In  hills.     Why  label  the 
plantings  ? 

5.  Tell  how  to  plant  tubers.     Bulbs.     Perennial  roots. 

6.  Explain  the  setting  of  a  strawberry  plant. 


•  CHAPTER  XXXVI 
THE  SEEDLINGS,  OUTDOORS 

WHEN  once  our  seeds  are  planted,  it  would  seem  as  if  we 
should  merely  need  to  glance  at  the  garden  once  a  day,  to 
see  if  the  little  plants  have  appeared.  But  even  the  time  of 
waiting  has  its  cares. 

In  the  first  place,  the  weeds  will  sprout.  Now  a  weed 
has  been  called  a  plant  in  the  wrong  place,  so  that  a  vege- 


FIG.  146.  —  Seedlings  of  lettuce. 

table  in  the  flower  garden,  or  a  flower  in  the  vegetable 
garden,  is  a  weed.  But  there  are  plenty  of  useless  plants 
which  will  appear  in  either  place,  and  which  ought  to  be 
twitched  out  as  soon  as  they  are  big  enough  to  seize  upon. 
The  difficulty  sometimes  is  that  until  the  lines  of  seedlings 

269 


270 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


appear,  we  cannot  tell  which  are  the  weeds.  The  lines  from 
label  to  label  will  help  us  sometimes,  so  that  if  a  plant  ap- 
pears between  the  rows,  we  can  take  it  out. 

In  the  second  place,  sometimes  there  is  rain.  Now  rain 
packs  the  ground  firmly,  and  as  soon  as  the  sun  comes  out, 
the  moisture  begins  to  dry  out  of  the  ground.  We  know, 
having  studied  it  in  the  winter,  that  a  loose  covering  of  dust 
will  prevent  drying.  Of  course  if  we  rake  up  the  whole 


FIG.  147.  —  SEEDLINGS  OF  CARROT. 
At  first  they  look  like  spears  of  grass. 

surface,  we  shall  get  this  dust  covering,  but  we  may  also 
disturb  the  seeds.  If  we  can  depend  upon  the  labels,  then 
we  can  cultivate  between  the  rows.  A  vegetable  gardener 
here  has  an  advantage  over  the  flower  gardener,  for  his 
straight  rows  of  seeds  may  be  avoided.  The  irregular 
planting  of  the  flower  garden  will  not  allow  us  to  take  such 
risks  except  in  a  few  places  where  it  may  be  perfectly  plain 
where  the  seeds  are. 

What  we  can  do,  therefore,  before  the  plants  appear  is 
very  little.  But  when  the  ground  cracks  above  the  sprouting 
seeds,  then  we  may  prepare  to  come  to  the  rescue.  Some- 


THE  SEEDLINGS,    OUTDOORS 


271 


times  it  happens  that  the  surface  has  caked  over  the  seeds. 
The  little  plants,  struggling  all  together,  are  able  perhaps  to 
raise  the  caked  surface  a  little ;  but  the  earth  weighs  them 
down,  and  only  a  few  of  them  may  be  able  to  get  through. 
Then  the  gardener,  working  very  delicately  with  the  points  of 


FIG.  148.  —  Seedlings  of  onion  are  hardy. 

a  fine  rake,  or  best  with  the  tips  of  his  fingers,  crumbles  the 
caked  earth  into  dust.  This  falls  among  the  little  plants, 
and  frees  them. 

And  now  that  the  plants  are  up,  we  are  anxious  to  have 
them  grow.  There  are  three  things  that  we  can  do  to  help  : 
we  can  cultivate,  we  can  fertilize,  and  we  can  thin. 

Cultivating  I  have  already  mentioned.     It  is  the  work  of 


272  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

making  the  dust  blanket  over  the  whole  garden  as  soon 
after  a  rain  as  the  ground  can  be  raked.  This  time  varies 
with  the  kind  of  soil.  On  a  very  light  soil  we  can  begin 
almost  as  soon  as  the  rain  has  stopped ;  the  heavier  the  soil 
the  longer  we  must  wait,  until  on  very  heavy  clays  we  may 
have  to  wait  a  whole  day,  or  even  more.  What  we  must 
wait  for  is  to  have  the  surface  in  such  condition  that  it  will 
easily  crumble  when  scratched  with  the  rake.  If  we  try  to 
work  the  clay  soil  too  soon,  it  will  merely  pack  or  cling  to  the 
tool.  But  if  we  wait  until  the  right  time,  it  will  easily  break 
up  into  little  lumps  which  the  rake  immediately  makes 
finer. 

There  is  more  than  one  way  of  doing  this.  On  a  small 
garden  the  rake  ought  to  be  used,  and  nothing  else.  The 
earth  can  be  scratched  to  a  depth  of  nearly  two  inches.  If 
at  first  it  does  not  break  up  fine,  leave  it  as  it  lies  until  the 
whole  garden  has  been  raked,  and  then  begin  again.  The 
sun  or  the  wind  has  by  this  time  dried  the  little  lumps,  so 
that  at  the  touch  of  the  rake  they  will  fall  into  powder. 

If  the  soil  is  very  stubborn  and  heavy,  and  yet  is  so  dry 
that  it  will  not  cling  nor  cake,  the  hoe  may  well  be  used  first. 
Do  not  cut  deeper  than  about  two  inches,  and  let  the  surface 
wait  until  the  lumps  have  dried.  Then  the  rake  will  pulver- 
ize the  whole. 

If  the  vegetable  garden  is  very  large,  the  wheel-hoe  ought 
to  be  used.  It  will  save  time.  Put  in  first  the  cultivating 
teeth ;  five  of  them  come  with  most  machines.  Go  up  and 
down  through  all  the  rows  and  break  up  the  whole  surface. 
Then  change  the  teeth  to  the  rakes  (there  are  usually  two 
with  a  cultivator),  and  go  over  the  whole  again.  When  you 
are  finished,  there  will  be  a  fine  dust  mulch  on  the  garden. 

The  work  is  delicate,  and  is  especially  so  at  first.  You 
must  work  as  close  to  the  little  seedlings  as  you  can  without 


THE  SEEDLINGS,    OUTDOORS 


273 


uprooting  Or  covering  them.  It  takes  skill  to  do  this,  for 
it  is  difficult  not  to  go  too  deep,  or  not  to  throw  the  earth 
toward  the  plants.  As  the  plants  grow  the  work  is  easier, 
for  the  ground  which  they  shade  need  not  be  cultivated,  and 
so  there  is  less  surface  to  work.  Yet  as  the  plants  are 
bound  to  grow  irregularly,  there  will  be  many  odd  corners 
to  be  cultivated  which  it  takes  skill  to  get  at.  That  is  why 


FIG.  149.  —  Corn  is  a  summer  delicacy.     Plant  plenty  of  it. 

the  best  gardeners,  who  take  pains  in  working  thoroughly 
and  well,  prefer  to  use  the  rake  rather  than  the  hoe  or  cul- 
tivator, and  also  a  narrow  rake  rather  than  a  wide  one.  One 
advantage  of  the  rake  over  either  of  the  other  tools  is  that 
since  the  gardener  works  backward,  no  footprints  are  left. 

Once  the  garden  is  cultivated,  —  and  well  cultivated,  with 
a  real  dust  blanket  stretching  into  every  odd  corner,  and  so 
thick  that  no  moisture  can  evaporate  through  it,  —  it  can  be 
left  alone  until  the  next  rain,  or  until  the  weeds  start.  When 
the  weeds  show,  pull  or  hoe  them.  The  push-hoe  is  valuable 


274 


THE   BEGINNER'S   GARDEN   BOOK 


here,  but  in  a  large  vegetable  garden  the  worker  may  put  the 
hoes  into  the  cultivator,  and  so  cut  off  all  the  weeds,  as  he 
cannot  with  the  teeth  of  the  rake. 

Fertilizing  of  the  seedlings  is  done  usually  by  either  nitrate 
of  soda  (sulphate  of  ammonia  is  just  as  good)  or  by  liquid 
manure.  Scatter  the  dry  salt  lightly  alongside  the  seedlings, 
as  close  as  you  can  without  touching  them.  Then  water  the 
plants,  washing  the  fertilizer  into  the  ground.  If  you  sow 
the  salt  before  a  rain,  that  is  better  still.  Or  if  you  wish  to 


FIG.  150.  —  Lima  beans  are  among  our  tenderest  vegetables.     Plant  late. 

do  otherwise,  dissolve  some  of  the  salt  in  water,  a  level 
teaspoonful  to  a  quart,  and  pour  it  in  furrows  made  alongside 
the  rows.  In  making  the  furrows,  do  not  disturb  the  roots. 
Fill  the  furrows  full,  and  let  them  drain ;  then  cover  with  dry 
earth.  The  same  treatment  is  used  with  liquid  manure. 

It  will  help  your  vegetables,  and  even  your  flowers,  if  in 
early  summer  you  scatter  on  the  ground  between  the  rows 
the  fertilizer  that  is  proper  for  them.  Cultivated  in,  and 
carried  down  by,  the  rain,  the  food  is  found  by  the  foraging 
roots.  See  pages  101  and  102. 

Thinning  the  seedlings  must  be  done  as  soon  as  they  begin 


THE  SEEDLINGS,    OUTDOORS 


275 


to  crowd.     Any  one  can  tell  when  they  stand  much  too 
thickly ;  but  in  order  to  know  just  how  far  apart  plants  should 
stand,  study  the  planting  list.     Then  thin  the  plants  coura- 
geously to  the  proper  dis- 
tances.    It  needs,  courage 
to  do  this,  for  many  fine 
plants  must   often   be 
taken    out    and    thrown 
away  in   order   that   the 
others  may  have  room  to 
grow. 

Some  vegetables,  such 
as  lettuce  or  beets,  can 
be  left  at  half  distances, 
or  can  even  be  thinned 
but  slightly,  if  the  gar- 
dener intends  to  pull  and 
use  them  as  soon  as  they 
are  a  little  bigger.  But 
they  should  not  be  al- 
lowed to  stand  long 
enough  to  stunt  the 
plants  that  are  to 
remain. 

In  thinning,  it  is  wise 
to  determine  just  which 
plants  shall  remain,  and 
then  take  away  all  others 

near  them.  Be  sure  to  get  every  one,  so  that  the  work 
will  not  have  to  be  done  again,  and  so  that  there  will  not 
be  crowding  after  all.  Be  careful  not  to  twitch  out  the  good 
plant  with  the  poor  one,  as  may  happen  if  they  have  stood 
so  long  that  their  roots  are  intertwined.  And  if  you  have 


FIG.  151.  — Thinning  should  be  careful  — 
and  courageous. 


276  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

loosened  the  soil  very  much,  or  made  holes,  press  back  the 
earth  again  with  the  fingers,  and  brush  a  little  dust  over  the 
place,  so  that  it  will  not  dry  out. 

Only  one  danger  is  likely  to  further  assail  the  young  plants, 
and  that  is  frosts.  If  you  think  one  is  coming,  protect  the 
seedlings  overnight.  This  may  be  done  by  spreading  cloths 
or  lawn  clippings  over  the  plants,  or  even  by  raking  the  earth 
over  them.  Then  in  the  morning  the  cover  must  be  removed. 
If  you  have  covered  with  earth,  the  cover  must  often  be 
brushed  off  with  the  fingers,  a  tiresome  process.  But  it  is 
better  to  do  this  than  lose  the  plants. 

Danger  from  insects  I  shall  speak  of  in  another  chapter. 
But  if  you  see  a  plant  cut  off,  dig  near  by  for  an  inch  or  so. 
You  may  find  a  curled  caterpillar  which  has  caused  the  trouble. 

The  care  of  young  plants  requires,  as  you  see,  some  atten- 
tion and  some  thought.  Do  not  suppose  it  can  be  skimped, 
or  that  it  can  be  done  in  a  hurry.  Make  your  garden  both 
your  business  and  your  pleasure,  work  slowly  at  it,  and  it  will 
pay. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  do  you  often  want  to  work  in  your  garden  before  the 
seedlings  appear  ?    In  such  a  case,  what  can  you  do  ? 

2.  How  can  you  help  the  seedlings  when  they  are  up  ? 

3.  How  do  you  cultivate  ?    How  fine  is  your  mulch  ?    How  deep  ? 

4.  Have  you  a  wheel-hoe  ?     Do  you  wish  one  ?     Why  ? 

5.  Explain  your  method  of  fertilizing. 

6.  Why  is  thinning  necessary?    What  is  your  method?    How 
can  we  avoid  much  thinning  of  beets  and  lettuce  ? 


•  CHAPTER  XXXVII 
TRANSPLANTING 

TRANSPLANTING  is  needed  with  most  plants  raised  in  the 
house  or  the  frames,  and  is  also  needed  with  some  which, 
growing  in  the  open  garden,  are  so  plentiful  that  they  can 
be  lifted  and  set  elsewhere.  Transplanting  is  not  difficult 
if  only  the  gardener  will  remember  to  water  the  plants  well 
before  and  after  setting. 

Setting  out  from  pots  is  very  simple,  and  is  not  hard  on 
the  plants.  They  should  be  freely  watered  two  or  three 
hours  beforehand,  not  merely  so  as  to  wet  the  earth,  but  so 
that  the  plants  themselves  will  be  filled  with  water.  This  should 
be  done  always  in  transplanting.  Water  the  plants  well, 
therefore,  and  give  them  time  to  take  the  water  in.  The 
rest  of  the  transplanting  is  merely  like  repotting,  but  is 
simpler.  Tip  up  the  pot,  holding  the  fingers  across  its  top. 
Tap  on  the  bottom,  and  the  plant  should  fall  against  the 
fingers.  Remove  the  pot,  and  if  the  roots  are  very  numer- 
ous and  crowded,  loosen  them  a  little.  Then  set  the  ball 
of  earth  in  the  ground  at  the  right  spot,  pressing  the  earth 
firmly  around  it.  Water  it  once  more,  then  mulch  and 
leave  it. 

One  thing  remember  in  all  the  work  of  transplanting: 
Press  the  earth  firmly  around  the  plant,  but  not  too  firmly. 
The  roots  must  not  be  injured,  nor  should  the  earth  be 
packed  so  tight  that  the  roots  cannot  spread. 

Transplanting  from  a  pot  is  practically  sure  to  succeed,  be- 

277 


278 


THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 


cause  the  root  is  not  injured.  But  in  taking  up  from  a  flat 
or  the  row  plants  that  are  four  inches  or  more  tall,  the  roots 
are  sure  to  suffer.  Treat  them,  therefore,  very  carefully. 

In  the  first  place,  water  them  freely,  so  that  they  will  be 
full  of  water.  This  will  help  them  through  the  struggle  that 
is  to  come.  Give  them  time  to  drink  the  water  in. 

Then,  while  they  are  drinking,  prepare  the  ground  to  receive 

them.  If  the 
ground  is  not 
rich  enough  to 
suit  you,  dig  the 
holes  (I  always 
stretch  the  line 
a  few  inches 
away,  parallel 
with  the  true 
line,  so  it  will 
not  be  in  the 
way)  deeper 
than  the  roots  of 
the  plant  will  at 
first  go,  and  then 
work  into  the 
ground  manure, 
is  very  dry,  pour 


FIG.  152.  —  Use  a  line  for  setting  plants. 


compost,   or  fertilizer.      If  the  ground 
in  water  also,  and  let  it  drain  away. 

Now  go  to  the  plants,  and  lift  them  carefully.  Perhaps 
they  stand  so  far  apart  that  you  can  lift  them  separately. 
Do  it  with  a  trowel,  or  even  with  a  shovel  or  a  spade,  taking 
all  the  earth  that  you  can.  Carry  the  plant  to  the  hole,  sift 
in  a  little  earth  until  .the  depth  is  proper,  and  set  the  plant 
immediately.  Then  water  it,  and  when  the  surface  has 
dried  out,  scatter  dry  earth  over  it. 


TRANSPLANTING 


279 


If  the  plants  are  crowded,  so  that  you  must  lift  several  at 
a  time,  lift  only  a  trowelful,  set  them,  and  return  for  more. 
But  if  the  place  where  they  are  to  be  set  is  at  a  considerable 
distance,  so  that  you  must  lift  them  all  at  once,  shade  them 
until  you  set  them.  It  is  a  good  plan,  in  such  a  case,  to 


FIG.  153.  —  If  possible,  take  with  each  plant  a  trowelful  of  earth. 

carry  them  in  a  box,  into  which  you  pour  water,  so  that  they 
wait  in  mud. 

Separating  such  crowded  plants  should  be  done  patiently 
and  delicately.  Tear  the  roots  as  little  as  possible.  If  any 
are  much  injured,  throw  them  away  and  take  plants  with 
better  roots.  The  root  is  more  important  than  the  top. 

In  setting  small  plants,  thrust  the  finger,  or  the  hand,  or  a 
trowel,  or  a  dibber,  into  the  soft  ground  and  make  a  hole 
to  the  proper  depth.  Lower  the  roots  of  the  plant  into  it, 


280 


THE  BEGINNERS  GARDEN  BOOK 


until  it  is  at  the  right  height.  Then  press  the  earth  around 
the  roots. 

Here  shows  one  disadvantage  of  the  dibber :  roots  set  by 
it  are  sure  to  be  crowded.  Trowel-set 
roots  can  at  least  be  spread  like  a  fan. 
The  larger  the  plants,  the  greater  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  trowel. 

The  proper  depth  is  not  hard  to  de- 
termine. With  such  plants  as  young 
asters,  or  lettuce,  which  have  a  crown 

FlG  154 Uging    from  which  all  the  leaves  spring,  set  this 

the  dibber  to  press    crown  just  at   the   level   of  the  ground. 

roote^  But  with  Plants  whose  leaves  SPring  from 

a  stalk,  such  as  zinnia  or  tomato,  the 
plant  may  be  set  at  almost  any  depth,  even  two  or  three 
inches  deeper  than  before.  Then  the  roots  are  deep,  and 
are  not  likely  to  dry  out. 
This  kind  of  plant  may  also 
be  set  in  a  little  hollow, 
made  with  the  hand.  This 
is  of  use  on  future  days  in 
watering ;  it  holds  the  water 
and  leads  it  directly  to  the 
roots.  But  plants  with  a 
crown  cannot  be  set  in  such 
hollows,  which  will  fill  up 
with  earth  and  cover  the  FIG  155.  _  UNSHEARED  PLANTS 

Crown  bud.  ABOVE,  SHEARED  PLANTS  BELOW. 

Since  plants  which   have       See  also  the  crowded  roots  of  the 

.,  J .     .  ..,      dibber-set  plants,  to  the  left.     Are  the 

lost  SOme  of  their  roots  Will     spread  roots  better? 

have  a  hard  time  supporting 

all  of  their  leaves,  it  is  wise  to  remove  some  of  the  leaf  sur- 
face. Some  do  this  by  clipping  or  tearing  off  the  ends  of  all 
the  leaves ;  others  tear  off  some  of  the  leaves  entirely. 


TRANSPLANTING 


281 


The  watering  after  setting  should  be  thorough.  The 
quantity  to  be  given  depends  upon  the  size  of  the  plant. 
Do  not  pour  on  so  much  that  the  roots  will  be  washed  out ; 
but  wet  the  ground  deeply. 

As  soon  as  thet  surface  has  somewhat  dried,  cultivate  it, 
or  scatter  on  it  dry  earth. 

In  order  to  keep  the  plants  from  wilting,  they  must  often  be 
protected  against  the  sun  for  a  day  or  two.  Watch  them ; 
it  may  not  be  necessary  to  cover  them,  but  do  it  if  they 
begin  to  wilt.  And  if  you  are  to  leave  them  for  several 


FIG.  156.  —  Strawberry  boxes,  held  up  by  labels,  over  newly  set  plants. 

hours  on  a  hot  day,  be  sure  to  cover  them.  This  may  be  done 
by  means  of  flower  pots,  old  strawberry  boxes,  newspapers 
held  in  place  by  stakes,  or  broad  pieces  of  wood,  such  as 
shingles,  stuck  in  the  ground  to  the  south  of  the  plants,  and 
slanting  over  them. 

Do  not  leave  the  cover  on  all  day.     The  plants  must  learn 


282  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

to  take  care  of  themselves.  Therefore  do  not  cover  them 
before  nine  o'clock,  even  on  a  hot  day.  And  uncover 
them  as  soon  as  the  sun  is  halfway  toward  his  setting. 

If  you  do  a  little  thinking  over  what  I  have  told  you  here, 
you  can  easily  make  two  rules  that  will  help  both  you  and  the 
plants  through  the  struggle  of  transplanting.  They  are  as 
follows  : 

On  a  sunny  day,  wait  till  late  afternoon  before  trans- 
planting. 

If  there  is  no  hurry,  wait  for  a  cloudy  day,  or  just  before  a 
rain.  The  rain  will  do  half  the  work  for  both  you  a'nd  the 
plants. 

For  protection  against  cutworms,  wind  a  strip  of  paper  (a 
collar)  loosely  around  the  plants  when  setting  them.  Let  it 
extend  an  inch  above  and  an  inch  below  the  surface. 

One  help  you  can  give  to  your  plants,  but  not  until  they 
have  begun  to  grow  again.  Fertilize  them,  lightly,  with 
nitrate  of  soda  or  liquid  manure. 

The  work  of  transplanting  is  an  interesting  one,  and  no 
other  makes  a  gardener  so  skillful  with  his  fingers.  Some 
folk,  when  gardening,  use  gloves  to  protect  the  hands ;  but 
with  very  small  plants  one  cannot  transplant  with  gloves  on. 
Take  them  off,  and  go  at  the  work  with  bare  fingers.  Enjoy 
the  feel  of  the  soil,  learn  to  handle  the  plants  delicately,  and 
be  the  more  friendly  toward  them.  You  will  like  the  work, 
and  will  like,  too,  to  see  the  plants  presently  thriving  again. 
One  or  two  may  die  (and  you  will  be  wise  to  reserve  a  few 
to  fill  gaps),  but  most  will  live  to  reward  you. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  is  transplanting  necessary? 

2.  Name  one  great  aid  in  transplanting. 


TRANSPLANTING  283 

3.  Explain  setting  out  from  pots.     Why  is  it  likely  to  succeed  ? 

4.  Explain  setting  out  from  the  frame  or  seed  bed.     What  care 
do  we  take  of  the  roots?    Why?    What  do  we  do  to  the  tops? 
Why? 

5.  How  do  we  know  at  what  depth  to  set  a  plant  ? 

6.  Describe  a  method  of  protecting  newly  set  plants  from  the  sun. 

7.  What  plants  do  you  expect  to  transplant,  and  how  will  you 
doit? 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 
PLANT  ENEMIES 

GARDENING  would  be  too  easy  if  plants  had  no  enemies 
but  the  weather.  Insects  and  diseases  keep  us  properly 
awake,  and  give  us  exercise  for  our  wits. 

Insects,  first,  are  equally  troublesome  above  ground  and 
below.  They  may  be  classed  as  chewing  and  sucking  insects, 
or  again  as  hard-bodied  and  soft-bodied  insects ;  and  accord- 
ing as  they  fall  into  one  class  or  another 
they  may  be  fought. 

Some  fine  morning,  for  example,  you  find 
here  and  there  on  your  currants,  on  your 
potatoes,  not  leaves,  but  just  the  midribs  of 
leaves.  You  look  closer,  and  find  that  there 
are  troops  of  caterpillars,  or  slugs,  or  perhaps 
striped  bugs,  at  work,  rapidly  eating  the 
FIG.  157.  The  }eaveSi  You  have  found  the  currant  worm, 

potato  bug  is  a  chew-  . 

ing  insect.  or  the  potato  bug  or  his  children.     Or  again 

you  find  holes  drilled  everywhere  on  the 
leaves  of  your  tomatoes,  and  discover  that  they  are  made  by 
little  black  shiny  beetles,  very  small,  which  jump  when  you  try 
to  touch  them.  You  have  found  the  flea-beetle.  Or  the  leaves 
of  your  roses  are  curling  or  wrinkling,  while  on  the  under 
part  are  groups  of  tiny,  pale,  soft  bugs.  These  are  aphis, 
members  of  a  great  and  very  active  family ;  they  are  sucking 
the  juices  of  the  plants. 

If  your  garden  is  small,  probably  the  simplest  thing  to  do 

284 


PLANT  ENEMIES 


285 


is  to  pick  off  the  insects,  or  the  leaves  which  hold  them,  and 
drop  them  into  a  can  which  holds  a  little  water,  on  top  of 
which  are  a  few  teaspoonfuls  of  kerosene.  But  if  the  garden  is 
so  large  that  the  work  of  picking  is  too  great,  you  must  go 
about  the  work  differently. 

For  chewing  insects,  spray  the  leaves  with  a  poison  which 
will  kill  the  insects. 

For  sucking  insects  which  are  soft-bodied,  such  as  the 
aphis,  spray  them  with  a  liquid  which  will  kill  them  on  touch- 
ing them,  a  "  contact  insecticide." 

In  order  that  you  may  under- 
stand this  better,  I  must  explain 
how  to  spray,  and  how  to  make 
poisons  or  contact  insecticides. 

To  spray  is  to  scatter  very 
thoroughly,  but  very  thinly,  over 
a  plant,  a  liquid  which  will  prac- 
tically reach  every  part  of  it. 
In  a  small  space  you  can  do  this 
by  means  of  a  whisk  broom,  re- 
peatedly wet  and  whisked  over 
the  plants.  This  is  the  first 
method  ever  used,  but  is  slow 
and  wasteful.  At  the  seed  stores  you  can  buy,  to  do  the 
work  more  quickly  and  economically,  spraying  machines  of 
all  sizes.  Atomizers  are  good  for  small  plots.  Best  for  larger 
plots  are  knapsack  sprayers  (not  the  "  compressed  air  sprayers ' ') 
of  good  makes.  Get  the  seedsman  to  pick  out  a  good  one  for 
you,  have  it  if  possible  of  brass  or  galvanized  iron,  and  re- 
member that  in  sprayers  "the  best  is  the  cheapest." 

Spray  every  part  of  each  plant,  except  the  blossom.  If 
possible,  spray  in  sunny  weather.  Always  strain  the  mixture 
before  putting  it  into  the  sprayer. 


FIG.  158.  —  A  knapsack  sprayer 
is  best  for  large  gardens. 


286  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

The  best  poison  is  arsenate  of  lead,  since  it  does  not  injure 
the  plant,  and  sticks  well.  Paris  green  is  not,  for  both  these 
reasons,  so  good.  Buy  the  arsenate  in  jars,  and  mix  it  with 
water  according  to  the  printed  directions.  A  good  poison  for 
plants  that  are  to  be  eaten,  such  as  currants  and  cabbages, 
is  hellebore,  which  presently  weakens  and  washes  off.  Dust 
it  on  when  the  plants  are  wet  with  dew ;  or 
mix  it  with  water,  and  spray  it  on. 

Mark  all  these  as  Poison,  and  keep  them 
where  young  children  will  not  find  them. 

Contact  insecticides  are  of  several  kinds. 
Easiest  to  make  is  the  soap  solution.  Get 
whale-oil  soap,  or  even  a  good  laundry  soap, 
and  whittle  shavings  from  it.  Dissolve  these 
in  hot  water,  about  a  quarter  pound  to  a 
gallon  for  caterpillars,  or  weaker  for  aphis. 
To  make  a  still  better  insecticide,  dissolve 

FlG  159 The  a  half  pound  of  soap  in  a  gallon  of  water, 

bucket   pump   is  and  to  it  add  two  gallons  of  kerosene,  shak- 

simple    and    reli-  .-,  ,-1  •  i 

abl(T  ing  the  two  together,  or  in  some  way  churn- 

ing them,  until  they  are  a  creamy  mixture. 
This  is  kerosene  emulsion,  and  when  made  well  will  keep  well. 
To  use,  mix  one  part  with  ten  or  fifteen  parts  of  water. 

Tobacco  dust,  or  tobacco  stems,  make  a  good  contact  in- 
secticide. Use  the  dust  as  an  insect  powder,  sifting  it  or 
blowing  it  against  the  insects.  Or  steep  the  stems  in  boiling 
water,  and  spray  the  liquid  on  the  insects. 

Such  is,  simply,  the  work  of  fighting  insects  above  ground. 
But  there  may  easily  come  puzzles  that  are  hard  to  solve. 
The  flea-beetle  and  the  rose-bug  do  not  chew,  and  so  cannot 
be  poisoned;  they  are  hard-bodied,  and  do  not  mind  the 
spray.  Luckily  the  arsenate  of  lead  is  unpleasant  to  them, 
and  they  leave  the  plants  which  are  sprayed  with  it. 


PLANT  ENEMIES  287 

Again,  we  cannot  spray  flowering  plants,  for  we  destroy  the 
blossoms ;  and  we  do  not  like  to  discolor  their  leaves.  For 
insects  on  flowering  plants,  such  as  asters,  we  should  there- 
fore pick  by  hand,  or  protect  by  fine  netting.  ^  . 

It  may  prove,  ,when  a  plant  shows  weakness,  that  insects 
have  entered  it  at  some  point  or  other,  and  are  eating  the 
pulp.  This  happens  to  the  squashes,  and  to  some  few  other 
plants.  The  remedy  is  to  cut  out  the  insects  by  slitting 
with  a  knife,  or  to  kill  them  by  thrusting  a  wire  into  the  hole. 
Cover  the  slit  squash- vine  with  earth. 

Squash  bugs  lay  their  eggs,  little  shining  brown  beads, 
on  the  under  surface  of  squash  leaves,  or  on  leaves  that  over- 
hang the  plants.  Occasionally  they  lay  the  eggs  on  the  upper 
surface.  Keep  a  watch  for  them  after  summer  begins,  and 
as  soon  as  you  find  them,  go  carefully  all  over  the  plants,  and 
tear  off  the  leaves,  or  the  parts  of  leaves,  that  hold  the  eggs. 
Then  crush,  or  burn  them,  or  soak  with  kerosene.  You  will 
save  yourself  much  trouble,  and  greatly  help  the  vines. 

And  one  thing  is  to  be  remembered  of  all  plants,  or  parts 
of  plants,  that  have  been  pulled  on  account  of  the  insects 
or  diseases  that  they  may  harbor :  they  are  not  to  go  on  the 
compost  heap.  For  there  the  eggs  may  hatch,  or  the  bugs 
live  over  winter,  or  the  disease  live  on,  so  that  next  year 
the  compost  heap  will  bring  trouble  to  the  whole  garden. 
Burning  is  the  best  thing  for  all  such  plants. 

Below  ground  the  chief  pests  are  grubs,  aphis,  maggots, 
and  cutworms,  all  soft-bodied;  and  wire-worms,  hard- 
bodied.  The  tiny  aphis  and  maggots,  which  are  numerous 
and  very  hard  to  find  (they  work  on  cabbages,  the  apple, 
and  other  plants),  can  be  got  at  by  pouring  quantities  of 
kerosene  emulsion  about  the  roots.  It  should  be  plentiful, 
but  not  strong.  The  fat  white  grubs  and  the  thin  wire-worms 
may  be  found  by  digging  at  the  roots  of  weakened  plants, 


288  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

perhaps  three  or  four  inches  underground.  Sometimes,  when 
a  grub  has  killed  a  plant,  he  may  be  found  on  a  straight  line 
to  the  nearest  living  one. 

But  the  cutworm  is  the  worst  underground  enemy.  He 
lives  underground,  but  comes  out  at  night  and  cuts  plants 
close  above  the  surface.  In  order  to  prevent  this,  on  land 
which  is  to  be  planted  with  a  specially  nice  crop,  such  as 
asters  or  tomatoes,  bait  for  cutworms  before  the  plants  are  set. 
To  do  this,  mix  together  bran,  molasses,  and  arsenate  of 
lead  or  Paris  green,  to  make  a  sweetish, 
sticky  mass.  Put  bits  of  this  every- 
where over  the  ground.  Then  when 
you  set  the  plants,  give  them  collars. 
That  is,  wrap  loosely  about  the  stem, 
for  an  inch  both  above  ground  and  be- 
low, a  thickness  of  paper.  Newspaper 
will  do,  but  brown  paper  looks  better. 

FIG.    160.  — A  WHITE      ,-,,  M1  ,.,. 

GRUB.  Dig  for  him.  Tne  cutworm  will  not  cut  through  this. 
Collars  can  be  used  even  on  plants 

which  have  no  stems,  such  as  lettuce  or  young  asters.  If  cut- 
worms injure  plants  which  have  been  grown  from  seed, 
scatter  the  bait  again,  but  also  dig  for  the  villains.  They 
can  often  be  found,  tightly  curled  up  caterpillars,  close  under 
the  surface  near  the  plants  which  they  have  killed. 

A  general  remedy  for  all  plant  enemies  that  spend  the 
winter  in  the  ground  (cutworms,  grubs,  wire-worms,  rose- 
bugs)  is  to  plow  or  spade  the  garden  very  late,  just  before 
winter.  The  pupae  or  the  larvae  will  be  broken  from  the 
snug  cases  which  they  have  made  and  will  often  be  killed  by 
the  winter. 

Diseases  are  sometimes  much  more  troublesome  than 
insects,  mostly  because  we  allow  them  to  get  started,  and  they 
are  hard  to  stop.  The  best  way  is  to  prevent  their  beginning. 


PLANT  ENEMIES 


289 


On  such  plants  as  are  subject  to  disease  (see  the  planting  list) 
spray  early  according  to  their  needs.  The  chief  sprays  are 
Bordeaux  mixture  and  ammoniacal  copper  carbonate  (used 
because,  unlike  Bordeaux,  it  does  not  discolor  leaves  or  fruit). 
Besides  these,  flowers  of  sulphur,  dusted  on,  is  good  against 
mildew. 

Bordeaux  mixture  is  best  bought,  unless  the  gardener  is 
to  use  a  large  quantity.  (It  can  be  bought  in  various  quan- 
tities, either  pure,  or 
mixed  "with  poison.) 
If  it  is  to  be  made  at 
home,  the  business  is 
rather  complicated. 
In  a  wooden  or 
earthen  vessel  put  five 
gallons  of  water ;  then 
hang,  just  below  the 
surface,  a  cloth  bag 
holding  a  pound  of 
copper  sulphate,  until 
the  sulphate  has  dis- 
solved. In  another 
vessel  dissolve  a 
pound  of  quicklime 
in  warm  water  until  the  mixture  is  as  thick  as  cream.  Strain 
this  milk  of  lime  through  cheesecloth  into  the  first  vessel,  and 
mix  thoroughly.  Add  water  to  make  ten  gallons.  The  mix- 
ture will  keep.  The  recipe  can  be  divided  by  five. 

Ammoniacal  copper  carbonate  solution  can  be  made  as 
follows  :  Make  a  paste  of  an  ounce  of  copper  carbonate  and  a 
little  water.  Dilute  three-fifths  of  a  pint  of  ammonia  with  a 
pint  and  a  half  of  water.  Stir  in  the  paste  until  it  is  dis- 
solved, then  add  enough  water  to  make  ten  gallons.  This, 
u 


FIG. 


161.  —  Prevent  the  two  potato  blights 
by  spraying. 


290 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


FIG.    162.  —  STRAWBERRY 

BLIGHT. 

Diseased    leaves    should    be 
promptly  burned. 


recipe  can  easily  be  divided  by  three.     The  mixture  should 
always  be  used  when  pretty  fresh. 

The  daily  patrol  of  the  garden  should  always  be  made  with 

insects    or    diseases    in    mind. 
Look  for  leaves  that  have  been 
eaten,  or  that  are  turning  yel- 
low,  or   that   curl   improperly. 
Look    for    red    spots    on    the 
leaves,   for   little    insects    that 
dodge  away  as  you   approach, 
or  for  the  eggs  that  will  pres- 
ently make  those  very  insects. 
And  when  you  find  a  foe  to 
fight,  attack  him. 
And  always  remember  that  one  of  the  best  helps  against 
these  enemies  is  healthy  plants.     The  stronger  they  are,  the 
better  they  will  resist.    Keep  them  vigorously  growing,  there- 
fore, by  cultivation,  food,  and  water. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  four  classes  are  there  of  insect  enemies  that  work  above 
ground  ? 

2.  Describe  the  process  of  spraying.     How  do  you  expect  to  do 
it  ?    With  what  mixtures  ? 

3.  Why  should  we  not  spray  flowers  ? 

4.  Name  the  underground  pests.     Which  have  you  seen  ?    How 
do  you  intend  fighting  them  ? 

5.  How  can  special  plant  diseases  be  fought  ?    Give  examples. 

6.  Explain  the  best  general  method  of  prevention  of  disease. 


'   CHAPTER   XXXIX 
PLANT  FRIENDS 

IF  we  have  plant  enemies,  it  is  pleasant  to  know  that  we 
have  plant  friends.  These  may  not  be  of  very  many  kinds, 
but  they  are  many  in  number,  and  of  course  should  be 
encouraged. 

Bacteria  I  have  already  spoken  of.  They  are  useful  in 
making  plant  food  in  the  soil.  To  encourage  them  we  need 
to  keep  the  soil  supplied  with  humus. 

Worms  are  good  plant  friends,  because  they  also  are  making 
the  soil  fit  for  plant  life.  Much 
of  the  loam  in  the  garden  has 
been,  in  past  ages,  prepared  by 
being  passed  through  the  bodies 
of  worms.  A  great  man's  study 

,.    ,1     .      i     1  .,  ,    .        ,    .        FIG.     163.  —  Worms     are     good 

of  their  habits  is  contained  in          friends  of  ours.    Why? 
Darwin's  "Vegetable  Mold  and 

Earthworms,"  where  it  is  shown  how  they  are  constantly 
busy  in  making  the  loam  deeper.  They,  like  bacteria, 
prefer  a  soil  that  is  full  of  humus,  and  they  should  be  wel- 
comed in  any  garden. 

Toads  are  notable  foes  of  insects  that  harm  plants.  They 
forage  mostly  at  night,  and  help  to  keep  the  insects  in  check. 
Toads  do  no  harm  whatever,  in  spite  of  what  has  in  the  past 
been  said  against  them.  Therefore  they,  too,  should  be  given 
the  freedom  of  the  garden. 

Many  insects  are  busy  in  killing  those  other  ones  which 

291 


292 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


prey  on  plants.  Most  of  them  are,  however,  small  and  hard 
to  see.  But  the  ladybug,  or  ladybird,  is  one  that  we  should 
learn  to  know  at  sight.  She  lives  chiefly  on 
the  aphis,  which  is  always  injurious.  There- 
fore the  ladybug  should  never  be  killed  by 
any  gardener. 

But  the  greatest  friends  of  the  gardener 
are  the  birds.  If  they  should  suddenly  dis- 
appear from  the  earth,  nothing  could  pre- 
vent the  insects  from  ruining  not  only  our 
gardens,  but  also  our  farm  crops  and  our 
trees.  Occasionally  some  mistaken  person 
has  persuaded  people  that  certain  birds 
were  harmful,  so  that  these  birds  have  been  slaughtered ;  but 


FIG.  164.  —  THE 
LADYBUG  AND  ITS 
LARVA. 

Protect  them 
both. 


FIG.  165.  —  In  feeding  their  young,  birds  daily  kill  many  plant 
enemies. 

always  the  great  increase  in  the  numbers  of  insects  has  proved 
that  the  birds  were  needed.     The  English  sparrow,  to  be  sure, 


PLANT  FRIENDS 


293 


is  a  pest,  not  because  he  does  much  harm,  but  because  he 
drives  away  the  birds  that  do  good.  The  crow  and  the  jay, 
mischief  makers  as  they  are,  destructive,  too,  of  the  nests  of 
other  birds,  do  about  as  much  -good  as  harm.  The  shrike,  or 
butcher-bird,  has  some  good  qualities.  And  of  the  hawks  and 
owls,  against  whom  so  much  has  been  said,  only  a  few  kinds, 
with  a  few  individuals  in  the  other  kinds,  are  harmful.  On 
the  whole,  the  hawks  and  owls  do  good  by  killing  the  snakes 
and  mice  which  are  so  destructive  on  the  farm.  Kill  or  chase 
away  the  sparrow  hawk,  the  pigeon  hawk,  the  duck-hawk 
(these  three  form  the  fal- 
con family),  the  American 
goshawk,  the  partridge  or 
Cooper's  hawk,  and  the 
sharp-shinned  or  chicken 
hawk,  with  the  great 
horned  owl.  But  re- 
member that  on  the 
whole  all  other  hawks 
and  owls,  and  all  other 
birds,  do  much  more  good 
than  harm. 

To  encourage  them  we 
must  find  what  birds  like. 

They  all  like  nesting  places ;  therefore  plant  shrubberies  and 
trees,  and  provide  nesting  boxes.  The  winter  birds  need 
food.  We  must,  besides,  protect  the  birds;  and  there  are 
three  ways  in  which  they  are  unnecessarily  killed.  The 
first  is  by  the  robbing  of  nests,  often  by  boys  who  have 
not  even  the  excuse  that  they  are  making  a  collection  of 
eggs.  The  eggs  should  be  let  alone,  except  by  collectors 
under  the  encouragement  and  direction  of  parents  or 
teachers.  Far  better  it  is  to  study  birds,  to  learn  to  know 


FIG. 


166.  —  Nesting    boxes    encourage 
birds  to  live  near  us. 


294 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


them  apart,    and   to   photograph  them,   than   to    destroy 
their  eggs  to  no  purpose. 

The  second  way  in  which  birds  are  destroyed  is  by  shooting. 
The  pitiful  slaughter  of  song  birds  is  done  partly  by  thought- 
less boys,  partly  by  foreigners  ignorant  of  our  bird  laws. 

No  one  who  appreciates  the  beauty 
of  a  bird,  and  its  value  to  us  all, 
will  take  part  in  such  shooting. 

The  third  source  of  bird  destruc- 
tion is  the  cat.  Cats  are  useful 
animals,  and  they  are  charming 
pets,  but  they  are  by  nature 
hunters,  and  will  often  do  great 
destruction  around  a  house.  The 
careless  keeping  of  several  cats  on 
a  farm,  where  but  one  apiece  is 
enough  for  the  house  and  the 
barn,  means  death  to  many  birds. 
A  bell  on  a  cat's  neck  will  warn 
the  birds  of  her  coming. 

Cats  should  be  housed  at  night. 
They  will  then  kill  more  mice  and 
fewer  birds.  Where  cats  are  kept,  the  nesting  places  should 
be  protected  against  them,  since  cats  love  to  eat  nestlings. 
A  band  of  sticky  fly-paper,  or  of  Tanglefoot,  around  a  tree, 
will  prevent  a  cat  from  climbing  it. 

Proper  love  for  the  garden,  or  indeed  the  natural  desire 
to  get  what  we  can  from  the  garden,  leads  us  to  this  care  of 
the  birds,  the  most  important  of  the  friends  of  the  plants. 
Such  care  will  pay  us.  The  sight  of  birds  in  the  garden,  the 
sound  of  their  songs,  and  the  knowledge  that  we  are  doing 
good  not  only  to  ourselves  but  to  our  neighbors  by  encourag- 
ing the  birds,  bring  to  us  great  satisfaction. 


FIG.  167. — Find  some 
means  to  prevent  your  cat 
from  killing  birds. 


PLANT  FRIENDS  295 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  How  do  worms  help  the  gardener?    Tell  what  you  know  of 
them. 

2.  How  do  toads  work  for  the  gardener  ?    Do  they  do  any  harm  ? 

3.  What  is  the  service  of  the  ladybug  ? 

4.  Why  should  gardeners  protect  birds?    How  may  they  be 
encouraged  to  come  to  the  garden  ?    Do  you  collect  eggs  ?    Why  ? 
Do  you  shoot  song  birds  ?     Why  ? 

5.  How  do  you  prevent  your  cat  from  killing  birds  ? 


CHAPTER  XL 
GARDEN  MANAGEMENT 

THERE  comes  at  last  a  time  in  summer  when  the  garden 
seems  almost  able  to  take  care  of  itself.  The  gardener  has 
time  to  walk  carelessly  about,  look  forward,  and  look  back, 
and  enjoy  the  present. 

Looking  back,  it  is  easy  enough  to  remember  periods  when 
the  work  of  gardening  took  up  all  the  spare  time.  I  say 
spare  time,  because  to  most  of  us  gardening  is  but  extra  work 
and  pleasure ;  there  are  other  duties  that  occupy  most  of  the 
day.  But  early  in  spring,  when  preparing  flats  and  mixing 
earth;  and  later,  when  spading  the  garden  and  planting; 
and  perhaps  later  still,  when  transplanting :  at  these  times 
especially  the  gardener  had  his  hands  full.  In  midsummer, 
however,  everything  is  growing  well,  and  though  the  fall  is 
yet  to  bring  its  labor,  that  is  still  some  weeks  away.  Yet 
even  now  there  is  some  work  and  a  little  thinking  to  be  done. 

The  first  is  the  work  of  cultivation.  After  every  rain, 
and  again  whenever  the  weeds  start,  the  gardener  should  go 
out  with  cultivator  or  rake  and  renew  the  blanket  of  dust  that 
is  so  valuable  in  keeping  the  ground  moist.  With  this  is  the 
work  of  finding  the  weeds  that  in  spite  of  the  keenest  eye 
will  snuggle  themselves  away  under  the  growing  plants, 
not  to  be  seen  until  the  seed-stalks  shoot  to  the  light,  bearing 
the  blossoms,  or  perhaps  the  already  formed  seeds.  It  is  for 
these,  grasses,  sorrels,  or  weeds  of  many  kinds,  that  the 
gardener  should  always  be  on  the  watch.  When  found,  they 

296 


GARDEN  MANAGEMENT 


297 


298  THE  BEGINNER'S   GAEDEN  BOOK 

should  be  pulled  at  once ;  the  gardener  should  never  be  too 
busy  to  stop  and  pull  one  of  these  big  weeds.  For  they  are  at 
the  danger  point :  another  few  days,  and  the  ripened  seeds 
will  be  falling,  to  make  trouble  another  year.  So  the  annuals 
should  be  pulled,  and  the  perennials  should  be  dug  out.  If 
the  seeds  are  already  formed,  the  seed-stalk  should  be  broken 
from  the  root,  lest  there  should  be  enough  strength  left  in  the 
plant  to  ripen  the  seeds. 

Again,  there  is  the  work  of  picking.  Pleasant  it  is,  yet 
it  takes  time.  It  should  be  regularly  attended  to.  I  have 
spoken  of  it  in  the  first  part  of  this  book,  yet  I  will  repeat 
briefly  here.  The  gardener  should  always  know  which  flowers 
or  vegetables  are  "  coming  on,"  and  at  the  right  time  he  should 
descend  upon  them  with  his  basket.  They  should  never  be 
left  too  long.  The  flower  that  is  not  yet  in  full  bloom,  the 
vegetable  that  is  still  tender,  are  better  for  the  parlor  or  the 
kitchen  than  those  which  are  too  old.  With  vegetables 
especially  it  is  a  strong  temptation  to  leave  them  overlong, 
so  that  the  basket  shall  be  fuller.  But  they  are  never  so 
pleasing  to  eat ;  the  beans  are  a  little  stringy,  the  peas 
too  firm.  Pick  them  while  still  young,  and  you  will 
know  the  real  difference  between  market  vegetables  and 
home-grown. 

There  is  also  the  war  against  enemies  to  be  continually 
carried  on.  Part  of  it  will  be  irregular,  a  call  to  battle  by 
the  sudden  appearance  of  insect  or  disease  in  some  new  place. 
The  call  should  be  hearkened  to  at  once.  Go  immediately 
to  the  work,  and  pick  or  spray  until  the  danger  has  been 
met.  The  loss  of  a  day  may  be  very  serious.  Then  for  the 
vegetable  gardener,  at  least  for  the  one  with  a  potato  patch, 
there  will  be  the  regular  work  of  spraying.  The  old  spray 
will  show  for  some  time ;  but  as  soon  as  it  weathers  off,  or 
whenever  the  new  growth  shows  in  good  quantity,  the  spray 


GARDEN  MANAGEMENT  299 

should  be  applied  again.     This  is  much  better  than  spraying 
only  two,  or  three,  or  four  times  a  season. 

Sometimes  arises  the  question  of  watering.     Our  summers 
are  often  very  dry,  and  often  very  hot.     In  spite  of  good 


FIG.  169.  —  THE  SPRAY-BARREL  USED  FOR  WATERING. 
Late  in  the  day  is  the  best  time. 

cultivation,  the  plants  sometimes  need  water,  and  then  the 
gardener  desires  to  come  to  their  help.  Maybe,  for  lack  of 
water  to  put  on  the  plants,  he  must  wait  patiently  for  rain, 
meanwhile  cultivating  thoroughly.  But  if  he  has  water, 
there  is  just  one  rule  to  follow :  Give  a  good  drenching,  and 
then  wait  for  several  days,  rather  than  water  a  little  daily. 


300 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


Soak  the  ground  thoroughly,  then  cultivate,  and  let  the  plants 
tell  you  when  they  need  help  again.  If  there  is  not  much 
water  to  give  daily,  then  water  only  one  part  of  the  garden  at 
a  time,  giving  each  part  its  turn  once  or  twice  a  week. 


FIG.  170.  —  Types  of  corn  for  study. 

This  is  a  good  time  to  study  one's  vegetables  and  flowers, 
practising  the  eye  to  choose  good  specimens.  For  instance, 
in  Fig.  170,  number  3  is  an  ear  of  field  corn  :  could  not  one 
with  a  better  tip  be  found  ?  Is  1  or  2  a  better  ear  of  sweet 
corn  ?  Which  of  the  two  at  4  is  the  better  to  save  for  seed  ? 
Study  butts  as  at  5,  tips  as  at  6,  and  depths  of  kernels  as  at 


GARDEN  MANAGEMENT 


301 


7  or  8.     Work  of  this  kind  all  tends  toward  the  saving  of 
good  seed,  or  the  choosing  of  fine  groups  for  exhibit. 

One  can  also  try  to  breed 
a  little  seed  from  two  plants 
of  the  same  kind  whose 
flowers  show  excellence. 
From  an  opening  flower 
take  the  stamens,  and  on 
its  pistils  dust  the  pollen 
from  the  stamens  of  an- 
other. Then  (as  in  Fig. 
171)  tie  the  first  flower  in 
a  common  paper  bag  (to 
keep  out  other  pollen), 
label  it,  write  in  the  note- 
book a  memorandum  of 
it,  and  leave  it  to  make 
seed. 

From  time  to  time  you 
will  see,  especially  if  you 
are  a  vegetable  gardener, 
that  some  of  the  plants 
have  done  their  work,  and 
should  be  pulled  up.  Be 
ready  to  do  this  promptly. 
As  soon  as  the  beans  yield 
no  longer,  or  the  early 
corn  is  finished,  pull  up 
the  plants,  dig  over  the 
ground,  arid  put  in  the 
next  crop.  As  autumn 

approaches  it  will  prove  that  you  have  no  next  crop  to  put 
in ;  that  is,  there  is  no  time  to  mature  vegetables  or  flowers. 


FIG.  171.  —  Seed  breeding:  a  bagged 
flower. 


302 


THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 


But  you  can  always  put  in  a  cover-crop  to  benefit  the  garden. 

In  August  put  in  crimson  clover ;  in  early  September  winter 

vetch  ;  after  the  mid- 
dle of  September  sow 
rye.  Sow  them 
broadcast,  rake  them 
and  roll  them  in, 
and  let  them  make 
what  growth  they 
will  before  winter. 
They  will  keep  the 
ground  from  wash- 
ing, and  when  dug 
under  in  the  spring 
will  provide  what  is 
known  as  green  ma- 
nure. 

At  all  times  the 
garden  should  be 
neat.  To  begin 
with,  put  away  all 
tools  as  soon  as  you 
have  finished  work- 
ing. It  is  untidy  to 
leave  them  about,  it 
is  bad  for  the  tools, 
and  it  is  even  dan- 


FIG.  172.  —  A  good  trellis  for  pole-beans. 


gerous  to  leave  a 
tool  where  the  edge 
or  points  can  be  stepped  on.  In  the  next  place,  carry  to  the 
compost  heap  all  such  refuse  as  old  leaves  and  stalks,  with 
the  plants  that  you  pull  up.  Keep  the  compost  heap  itself 
neat,  its  shape  regular,  and  with  no  rubbish  lying  around  its 


GARDEN  MANAGEMENT  303 

edges.  Tread  down  everything  that  you  bring  there  ;  thus 
it  will  not  blow  away,  and  will  rot  the  sooner.  When  grass 
or  weeds  sprout  in  the  pile,  take  the  fork  and  turn  them  under. 
Finally,  in  the  garden  itself  keep  the  plants  in  good  order  by 
supporting  those  that  need  it.  For  this  you  will  need  a  supply 
of  stakes,  string,  and  wire.  Set  in  all  supports  straight  and 
firm,  train  the  plants  over  them,  and  tie  neatly.  The  string 
had  best  be  the  brown  jute  which  can  be  bought  in  various 
thicknesses  and  cheaply;  it  lasts  very  well,  and  is  soft. 
White  string  is  too  conspicuous.  Raffia  will  do  very  well  for 
tying;  for  those  who  are  very  particular  it  can  be  bought 
or  dyed  green.  Much  can  be  learned  of  the  character  of  a 
gardener  by  noticing  how  he  has  made  a  string  trellis  for  his 
beans,  or  has  tied  up  his  roses. 

The  daily  work  of  all  this  is  not  great.  The  reward  comes 
from  the  full  baskets  brought  to  the  house,  or  in  the  rest- 
ful moments  when  one  straightens  from  work,  and  looks 
about  on  the  thriving  plants.  But  perhaps  the  best  of  it  is 
to  walk  in  the  garden  "in  the  cool  of  the  day,"  looking  re- 
flectively about,  planning,  enjoying,  perhaps  helping  a  plant 
or  pulling  a  weed,  and  seeing  that  the  work  of  our  hands  is 
good. 

« 
REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  not  let  the  weeds  grow  as  they  wish  ? 

2.  How,  without  water,  can  we  best  bring  the  garden  through  a 
drought  ?    How  with  water  ? 

3.  How  do  you  pick  vegetables  ?    Flowers  ?    Why  not  let  vege- 
tables grow  to  their  greatest  size  ? 

4.  What  watch  do  you  keep  against  plant  enemies  ?     How  often 
do  you  spray  your  potatoes  ? 

5.  What  is  a  cover-crop  ?    What  is  its  value  ? 

6.  What  do  you  do  to  keep  your  garden  tidy  ? 


CHAPTER  XLI 
THE  LAWN 

ONE  who  is  fond  of  gardens  will  soon  find  an  interest  in  'the 
lawn,  which  should  be  one  of  the  beauties  of  any  place.  To 
make  one  is  not  so  difficult  as  at  first  appears.  I  shall  not 
speak  of  the  sodding  of  a  lawn,  except  to  say  that  the  sod 
should  be  close,  cut  thin,  and  laid  on  good  soil. 

This  good  soil  should  also  be  prepared  for  the  seeded  lawn. 
On  a  few  inches  of  poorly  prepared  soil  one  cannot  make  a 
lawn  that  will  stay  green  through  a  drought.  As  with  the 
garden,  one  should  have  a  foot  of  good  loam  if  possible. 
And  the  subsoil  is  also  important,  for  the  loam  should  be  well 
drained ;  if  the  spot  is  very  wet,  it  may  be  wise  to  lay  tiles. 

The  loam  should  then  be  deep.  It  should  also  be  rich,  and 
as  free  of  weeds,  and  especially  of  witch-grass  and  other 
perennial  roots,  as  possible.  In  order  to  kill  these  out,  the 
lawn-maker  will  sometimes  grow  a  hoed  crop,  such  as  potatoes 
or  corn,  for  the  whole  or  a  part  of  a  season.  Good  cultiva- 
tion should  kill  out  all  roots.  But  it  will  not  kill  weed  seeds, 
which  are  to  be  found  in  all  soils.  I  will  speak  of  these  later. 

The  season  for  planting  the  lawn  is  either  early  spring  or 
late  summer.  Where  the  winters  are  mild,  the  late  August 
or  early  September  planting  is  likely  to  be  very  successful. 
But  a  "bad"  winter,  which  is  likely  to  come  anywhere,  may 
injure  the  new  lawn.  On  the  other  hand,  fall  sowing  is  best 
where  the  summers  are  very  droughty. 

Dig  the  loam  as  deeply  and  carefully  as  for  a  garden. 

304 


THE  LAWN 


305 


306  THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Make  it  fine  to  its  full  depth,  and  rake  the  surface  carefully 
to  the  desired  grade. 

At  the  time  of  digging,  the  loam  may  be  enriched.  Use 
very  well-rotted  manure,  in  which  the  weed  seeds  are  killed. 
Work  it  in  deeply.  Wood  ashes,  worked  in  at  the  same  time, 
will  benefit  the  lawn,  while  bone-meal  is  a  very  good  fertilizer. 
There  are  some  special  " seeding  down"  fertilizers  which  will 
help,  but  be  sure  that  they  are  "  high-grade."  If  the  soil  is 
sour,  which  you  can  easily  test  by  litmus,  lime  it  freely. 
Wood  ashes  or  basic  slag  bring  lime.  See  for  this  subject 
pages  256  and  257. 

The  seed  is  the  next  consideration,  and  it  is  a  very  impor- 
tant one.  Weak  or  impure  seed  is  very  largely  sold;  it  is 
sure  to  result  in  a  poor  lawn.  Go  once  more  to  the  reliable 
seedsman  of  whom  I  have  spoken  so  often,  and  tell  him  what 
you  want.  He  will  want  to  know  whether  the  soil  is  shady  or 
not,  or  wet  or  dry.  Take  the  mixture  that  he  gives  you, 
calculating  on  three  or  four  or  five  bushels  to  an  acre  accord- 
ing to  his  advice.  The  better  the  seed,  the  less  you  will  use. 
One  test  of  the  seed  is  the  weight  per  bushel :  it  should  weigh 
at  least  16  pounds,  and  more  if  possible.  If  your  seed 
weighs  20  pounds  per  bushel,  and  you  sow  60  pounds  per 
acre,  or  about  a  third  of  a  pound  per  square  rod,  then  that  is 
about  right. 

If  you  mix  your  own  seed,  get  of  each  kind  the  best  "  re- 
cleaned."  Mix  each  three  pounds  of  Kentucky  (not  Canada) 
blue-grass  with  three  of  red-top,  and  a  pound  of  white  clover 
seed.  If  you  do  not  want  clover,  mix  the  blue-grass  and  red- 
top  in  equal  weights  or  measures  to  make  a  good  average  seed. 
But  if  the  place  is  shady,  use  rough-stalked  meadow  grass 
instead  of  the  red-top.  In  the  South,  use  Bermuda  grass 
instead  of  blue-grass.  Mix  thoroughly. 

Now  comes  the  sowing.     Have  the  surface  rather  dry,  so 


THE  LAWN  307 

that  the  seed  will  rake  in  well.  Then  sow  the  seed  carefully, 
taking  it  from  the  bag  or  pan  in  the  half-closed  hand,  and 
making  the  best  kind  of  an  attempt  to  sow  it  evenly.  Study 
the  fall  of  the  seed,  and  correct  your  method,  until  you  find 
that  you  have  caught  the  knack.  Go  back  and  forth  across 
the  space,  sowing  in  strips  as  wide  as  is  convenient ;  and  then 
when  this  is  done,  sow  again  at  right  angles.  In  this  way  the 
whole  lawn  should  be  evenly  sown. 

Rake  in  the  seed  now,  going  over  the  whole  surface  with  a 
short-toothed  rake.  Then  with  as  heavy  a  roller  as  you  can 
easily  manage,  roll  the  whole  surface  as  you  sowed  it,  going  in 
both  directions. 

While  waiting  for  the  grass  to  appear,  be  watchful.  The 
surface  should  not  be  allowed  to  bake,  for  then  the  seedlings 
cannot  come  through.  Therefore  if  the  soil  dries,  and  no 
showers  come  to  soften  it,  hose  very  carefully  at  evening, 
being  sure  not  to  wash  out  the  seed. 

The  hosing  may  have  to  be  repeated  even  after  the  grass 
shows,  if  a  drought  threatens.  Do  not  hose  daily,  for  then  the 
grass  will  not  root  deeply.  But  when  you  do  hose,  hose 
thoroughly.  This  is  true  of  all  hosing  of  the  lawn.  It  is 
better  to  water  but  once  every  week  or  ten  days,  if  only  the 
soil  is  wet  to  the  depth  of  the  loam. 

Parts  of  the  lawn  may  not  take  the  seed  well,  or  later  may 
die  out.  Then  you  will  have  to  seed  again.  But  if  the  grass 
is  merely  thin,  it  is  best  to  scratch  in  more  seed,  using  the  rake 
vigorously,  rather  than  to  dig  up  the  lawn  and  begin  again. 

When  the  young  grass  is  growing  well,  at  last  comes  the 
time  to  mow.  For  the  first  mowing  the  machine  should  be 
very  sharp,  for  dull  blades  will  often  tear  the  delicate  plants 
out  of  the  ground.  Mow  regularly  as  often  as  the  grass  re- 
quires it,  never  letting  it  grow  so  tall  that  the  clippings  are 
noticeable  on  the  lawn.  For  it  is  good  for  the  grass  if  short 


308 


THE  BEGINNER'S  GARDEN  BOOK 


clippings  lie  on  it.  They  work  down  among  the  roots,  shade 
them,  and  finally  decay,  producing  plant  food.  But  if  they 
are  long,  then  they  should  be  raked  off. 

In  a  drought,  do  not  mow  the  lawn  unless  it  is  necessary. 
Leave  the  tops  to  shade  the  roots,  until  they  grow  so  tall  that 
the  mower  must  be  used. 

The  spring  care  of  a  lawn  is  simple,  but  should  not  be 

neglected.  Rake  it 
thoroughly,  but  do 
not  tear  the  roots. 
Then  as  soon  as 
heavy  frosts  have 
ceased,  roll  the 
lawn  "both  ways," 
so  as  to  level  it 
after  the  heaving 
of  the  frost.  A 
good  dressing  is 
worth  giving 
yearly,  but  manure 
is  not  advisable 
unless  it  is  very 
well  rotted.  Bet- 
ter use  sheep  ma- 
nure, or  a  good 
top-dressing.  Sow 

the  fertilizer  freely  on  a  thin  or  old  lawn,  but  lightly  on  a 
good  one,  lest  the  work  of  mowing  be  unnecessarily  in- 
creased. 

Weeds  in  the  lawn  will  often  be  a  bother.  At  first  they  will 
seem  very  numerous,  but  most  weeds  need  cause  no  worry. 
The  first  year's  mowing  will  finish  them.  Dandelions,  how- 
ever, are  a  real  trouble.  They  send  their  roots  very  deep, 


FIG.   174.  —  A  simple  method  of   watering   the 
lawn. 


THE  LAWN  309 

will  live  through  any  drought,  and  if  cut  near  the  surface  will 
simply  make  two  crowns  where  one  was  before.  They  may 
be  sprayed  with  sulphate  of  iron  (rinse  out  the  sprayer  imme- 
diately after  using  !)  but  the  remedy  is  troublesome  and  not 
very  sure.  The  best  thing  to  do  is  to  dig  the  roots  out  by 
hand.  I  know  of  no  patent  tool  that  will  do  the  work  so  well 
as  a  knife  used  to  cut  the  tap-root  several  inches  under  ground. 
Then  pull  the  plant  out. 

Cutting  the  edges  of  the  lawn  should  be  done  a  few  times  a 
year,  yet  by  careful  gardeners  is  sometimes  done  too  often. 
The  raw  edges  are  not  sightly,  and  if  wrongly  cut  will  fre- 
quently break  down.  Do  not  make  them  perpendicular,  as 
is  commonly  done.  Slant  the  spade  or  sod  cutter  away  from 
you  as  you  make  the  cut;  then  the  grass-blades  will  start 
on  the  sloping  surface,  will  make  the  edge  look  well,  and  save 
you  much  labor.  All  straight  edges  should  be  cut  to  a  string 
tightly  stretched  between  stakes.  Curves  should  be  cut  with 
great  care.  Trimming  edges  may  be  done  with  hand  shears, 
but  more  easily  by  long-handled  shears. 

A  good  lawn  is  worth  working  for,  a  pleasure  at  all  times, 
except  when  it  needs  cutting.  But  the  cutting  of  a  lawn, 
like  the  cultivating  of  a  garden,  keeps  you  very  well  ac- 
quainted with  your  own  property,  and  often  warns  you  of 
some  need  which,  if  neglected,  will  later  mean  double  labor. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Explain  the  value  of  a  deep  soil  for  a  lawn.    Tell  how  to  pre- 
pare it  for  sowing. 

2.  When  do  you  advise  planting  ? 

3.  Why  should  you  be  careful  in  buying  seed  ? 

4.  Explain  how  to  sow  a  lawn. 

5.  Why  should  it  be  rolled  after  raking  ?    Why  in  spring  ? 

6.  Tell  how  to  water  a  lawn. 

7.  Tell  how  to  get  out  dandelions. 


310  THE  BEGINNER'S   GARDEN  BOOK 


GENERAL  REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Describe  what  you  consider  a  good  position  for  a  flower  garden. 
A  vegetable  garden. 

2.  Why  should  one  make  a  garden  plan  ?     Did  yours  work  out 
well?    Why? 

3.  What  do  you  consider  the  best  perennial  flowers  ?  Vegetables  ? 

4.  Explain  the  use  and  value  of  shrubs,  roses,  vines. 

5.  What  fruits  do  you  recommend  growing  ? 

6.  What  are  tests  of  suitable  tools  ?    What  ones  do  you  wish  to 
get  ?    Why  should  you  keep  them  clean  ? 

7.  Explain  the  difference  between  good  and  bad  spading  of  a 
garden. 

8.  Tell  how  to  plant  in  rows.     In  hills. 

9.  What  is  the  value  of  thinning  ?    What  is  your  method  of 
transplanting  ? 

10.  Tell  of  your  most  troublesome  plant  enemies.     How  did  you 
fight  them  ? 

11.  What  bird  or  insect  helpers  have  you  found  in  your  garden? 

12.  Explain  the  way  to  bring  a  garden  through  a  dry  spell. 

13.  Tell  how  to  water  a  lawn.     Why  should  it  be  rolled  in  spring  ? 


PLANTING  LIST 

THIS  list  includes  chiefly  vegetables  and  flowers,  mostly  annuals 
and  perennials  of  simple  culture.  Plants  which  are  difficult  to 
grow,  or  which,  however  easy  of  culture  they  may  be,  scarcely 
repay  the  work,  are  not  included.  For  roses,  bulbs,  vines,  and 
shrubs,  see  the  chapters  on  those  subjects. 

When  not  otherwise  stated,  the  soil  for  any  plant  is  average  garden 
loam. 

The  sowing  of  flower  seed  is  usually  broadcast.  The  depth 
of  all  sowing  can  be  regulated  by  the  size  of  the  seed ;  cover  it  three 
or  four  times  its  own  thickness. 

The  distances  here  given  are  for  small  gardens,  in  which  the 
owners  wish  to  grow  as  much  as  possible,  and  which  are  to  be 
carefully  cultivated  by  hand.  The  distances  are  therefore  as  close 
as  plants  should  be  allowed  to  stand;  greater  ones  will  usually 
give  better  results. 

" Under  glass"  means  indoors  or  in  the  frames. 

All  flowers  should  be  fertilized  with  root-dressing  (see  the  chapter 
on  Plant  Chemistry),  except  that  when  young  and  struggling,  or 
when  just  transplanted,  they  may  be  fed  once,  lightly,  with  nitrate 
of  soda  or  liquid  manure. 

Adam's  Needle,  see  Yucca. 

Ageratum,  or  Floss  Flower  :  A  moderately  hardy  annual,  valued  for 
its  wealth  of  blue  flowers,  which  are  freely  borne  from  July  till  late 
fall,  if  the  faded  blooms  are  regularly  cut.  It  is  a  neat  and  bushy 
plant,  coming  in  dwarf  varieties  (about  9  inches,  used  for  edgings) 
and  taller  ones  (seldom  more  than  2  feet,  used  in  masses).  Sow 
under  glass  in  April,  outdoors  in  May,  and  thin  to  6  inches  or  a 
foot,  according  to  variety.  Frame-grown  plants  may  be  set  out  in 

311 


312  PLANTING  LIST 

late  May.  after  hardening  off.     Plants  sown  in  August  may  be  taken 
indoors  in  late  September,  and  will  bloom  in  the  house. 

Alyssum,  commonly  called  Sweet  Alyssum:  A  hardy  annual, 
low  and  bushy,  seldom  growing  more  than  a  foot  tall.  It  is  valued 
for  its  masses  of  white  flowers,  borne  freely  all  summer  if  not  allowed 
to  make  seed.  It  is  therefore  one  of  the  commonest  edging  plants. 
Sow  where  the  plants  are  to  stand,  in  late  April  or  in  May,  and  thin 
to  6  or  9  inches.  Can  be  sown  in  August  and  taken  into  the  house 
in  late  September.  There  is  a  perennial  variety  with  grayish  foliage 
and  yellow  flowers. 

Anemone  Japonica,  or  Japanese  Anemone :  A  valuable  free- 
flowering  hardy  perennial  plant,  most  popular  in  its  white  variety, 
though  there  is  one  in  red.  Its  height  is  eighteen  inches  or  more, 
according  to  the  richness  of  the  soil.  Flowers  come  in  late  summer, 
and  last  until  hard  frosts;  they  are  good  for  cutting.  It  is  not 
easily  grown  from  seed  (sow  as  soon  as  ripe,  in  boxes,  and  keep  moist 
all  winter  in  a  place  free  from  frost)  and  so  is  commonly  grown  from 
root  divisions.  When  once  established  these  plants  are  likely  to 
spread  too  fast ;  cut  back  the  roots  each  spring,  and  set  the  cuttings 
elsewhere,  eighteen  inches  apart. 

Aquilegia,  see  Columbine. 

Antirrhinum,  see  Snapdragon. 

Artichoke,  Globe  :  An  easily  winter-killed  but  valuable  perennial 
vegetable,  not  as  yet  very  widely  grown,  though  in  Europe  it  is  well 
known,  and  in  our  cities  is  considered  a  luxury.  It  can  be  easily 
grown  from  seed,  but  does  not  often  bear  the  first  year ;  if  it  is  ex- 
pected to  yield  in  the  first  season,  buy  young  plants.  The  edible 
part  is  the  flower-head,  which  should  be  cut  and  cooked  before  it 
begins  to  open.  The  bases  of  its  fleshy  leaves  are  eaten. 

Sow  in  deep  and  moist  earth  out  of  doors  in  May,  or  earlier  in 
the  frames.  Transplant  in  May :  rows  three  feet  or  more  apart, 
plants  two  or  three  feet  in  the  row.  Or  set  out  the  bought  plants 
at  these  distances.  By  fall  the  plant  should  be  large  and  spread- 
ing, thistle-like.  In  October  tie  the  leaves  over  the  crown,  and 
earth  up  to  a  foot  or  more,  covering  them  with  hay.  But  the  plant 


PLANTING    LIST  318 

will  often  winter-kill  north  of  New  York.  For  that  reason  it  is 
often  best  to  buy  the  young  plants,  which  yield  in  late  summer. 
Where  the  plants  are  hardy,  the  bed  may  be  enlarged  by  cutting 
away  and  planting  the  suckers  which  start  from  the  old  plants. 
Cut  all  flower-heads  as  soon  as  they  form,  whether  or  not  they  are 
to  be  eaten.  Fertilize  with  top-dressing  each  spring.  Globe  arti- 
chokes do  not  yield  for  more  than  four  years. 

Artichoke,  Jerusalem:  A  plant  of  the  sunflower  family,  which 
yields  both  flowers  and  a  vegetable.  It  is  grown  from  tubers,  which 
are  hardy,  and  should  be  sown,  usually  whole,  in  April,  in  any  soil 
which  is  not  wet.  The  plants  are  tall,  and  should  be  set  in  the  back 
of  the  flower  bed,  or  in  rows  three  feet  or  more  apart.  For  best 
tubers,  cut  off  the  flowers.  Do  not  dig  the  crop  till  the  plants  are 
killed  by  frost.  Unfortunately  the  common  artichoke  is  somewhat 
gnarly.  Our  seedsmen  should  import  better  varieties  from  Europe. 

Asparagus :  Our  most  valuable  perennial  vegetable,  which  grows 
to  a  great  age,  since  fifteen  years  is  the  least  that  a  bed  should  be 
cropped,  and  thirty  to  forty  years  is  not  uncommon.  It  is  worth 
the  space  that  it  needs,  and  repays  all  the  care  that  is  given 
it.  It  has  the  great  advantage  of  coming  in  earliest  spring,  when 
the  shoots  are  daily  cut  for  a  month  or  more.  But  a  young  bed 
should  not  be  cut  until  the  third  year,  and  should  not  be  cut  heavily 
until  the  fourth. 

The  plants  may  be  bought.  Buy  only  yearling  plants.  Set  them 
in  rows,  at  least  three  feet  apart,  and  at  least  eighteen  inches 
apart  in  the  rows.  Four  feet  by  two  is  better.  The  plants  should 
be  set  in  trenches  (set  stakes  before  the  plants  are  set),  with  the 
crowns  at  least  six  inches  under  the  surface,  and  the  roots  care- 
fully spread.  Cover  for  two  inches,  and  gradually  fill  in  the 
trenches  during  the  summer,  while  cultivating.  Tie  the  tops  to 
the  stakes,  to  prevent  injury  and  make  cultivation  easier. 

If  raised  from  seed,  the  best  way  is  to  start  the  plants  in  March 
or  early  April  under  glass.  Sow  three  seeds  to  a  three-inch  pot, 
and  when  the  plants  are  up  take  out  the  two  weakest.  Repot  at 
least  once,  and  set  the  plants  in  trenches,  as  described  above,  in  late 


314 


PLANTING  LIST 


May,  without  disturbing  the  roots.     Raised  in  this  way,  a  light 
cutting  can  be  taken  the  third  year. 

If  this  is  too  troublesome,  sow  the  seed  outdoors  in  April,  half  an 

inch  deep,  in  rows 
eighteen  inches 
apart,  thinly,  and 
thin  the  plants  to 
nine  inches  apart. 
In  the  second 
spring,  transplant 
into  the  permanent 
places,  and  begin 
to  cut  two  years 
later,  when  the 
plants  are  begin- 
ning their  fourth 
year. 

In  thinning,  dig 
deep  enough  to 
get  the  crown  of 
the  plants. 
Merely  pulling  the 
shoots  is  not 
enough.  Aspara- 
gus lives  on  big 
storage  roots, 
which  it  forms  at 
the  very  first,  and 
which  give 
strength  to  make 
more  shoots. 

Soil  for  aspara- 
gus should  be  as  rich  as  possible,  and  should  not  be  really  wet. 
It  should  be  at  least  a  foot  in  depth.  Much  manure  should  be 
worked  into  the  ground,  and  especially  beneath  the  plants.  At 
the  same  time  asparagus  will  do  well  in  any  good  soil.  Fertilize 


FIG.  175.  —  Set  stakes  for  young  asparagus  before 
the  plants  are  set. 


PLANTING  LIST  315 

every  spring,  and  after  every  cutting  season,  with  top-dressing,  freely. 
Nitrate  of  soda  is  helpful  at  these  times.  Manure  in  the  fall,  and 
dig  the  manure  into  the  ground  in  early  spring,  if  you  can  afford  it. 
But  my  practice  is  to  sow  crimson  clover  among  the  plants  before 
Aug.  15.  This  makes  a  thick  mat  before  winter,  protects  the 
ground,  and  is  dug  into  the  ground  in  spring.  This  is  as  good  as 
manure  for  the  plants.  In  digging  do  not  go  too  deep,  or  you  will 
injure  the  roots. 

Forty  to  fifty  plants,  in  good  condition  and  well  fed,  ought  to 
produce  a  bunch  a  day. 

Cut  lightly  the  first  year,  say  for  not  more  than  two  weeks.  After 
that  cut  for  five  or  six  weeks  every  spring.  More  than  this  is  hard 
on  the  bed.  Cut  the  shoots  when  about  five  inches  tall,  cutting 
two  inches  or  more  underground.  Thrust  the  knife  in  pretty 
straight,  and  do  not  injure  other  shoots  or  the  crown  of  the  plant. 

Cultivate  regularly  after  every  rain,  and  let  no  weeds  grow. 
The  worst  weed  in  an  asparagus  bed  is  the  young  asparagus  plant. 
Numbers  spring  up  every  year,  so  that  at  least  once,  after  the 
cutting  season,  the  bed  should  be  carefully  weeded  with  knife  or 
trowel,  getting  out  the  roots.  Watch  carefully  for  more  young 
plants  far  another  fortnight. 

On  account  of  the  rust,  the  variety  is  important.  The  Argen- 
teuil  is  considered  pretty  safe,  but  the  government  is  experimenting 
in  raising  a  rust-proof  kind.  Write  to  the  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture at  Washington,  or  to  the  Experiment  Station  at  Concord, 
Massachusetts.  A  perfectly  rust-proof  variety  is  not  yet  known. 

Luckily  the  rust  is  not  so  troublesome  as  it  was.  There  is  little 
to  do  against  it  except  to  feed  the  plants  well.  Pests  are  beetles, 
whose  slugs  eat  the  young  leaves.  They  can  be  poisoned,  or  if 
knocked  off  onto  the  ground  will  die. 

Asters :  There  are  two  kinds,  perennial  and  annual. 

Perennial  Aster  (Starwort,  Michaelmas  Daisy) :  A  native  plant, 
growing  wild  in  many  places.  The  seed  is  seldom  offered  by  seeds- 
men, and  for  the  plants  one  must  go  to  the  field,  to  one's  neigh- 
bors (who  will  often  supply  seed),  or  to  the  nurseryman.  There 


316  PLANTING   LIST 

are  several  varieties,  not  well  distinguished,  and  chiefly  pink,  lilac, 
or  purple  with  yellow  centers.  They  are  rich  and  effective  in  the 
garden  or  the  house.  The  flowers  are  not  large,  but  are  very  nu- 
merous, and  are  borne  in  clusters  on  tall  stems  during  September 
and  early  October.  Divide  the  plants  in  spring,  or  sow  the  seed 
in  April,  thinning  to  a  foot  apart,  and  setting  out  two  feet  each  way. 

China  Aster:  A  half-hardy  annual,  a  little  troublesome  to  grow, 
but  yielding  some  of  the  very  loveliest  flowers.  These  come  in  all 
colors  except  yellow,  in  charming  shapes,  and  very  numerous. 
There  are  dozens  of  varieties,  which  group  into  distinct  kinds,  the 
best  of  which  are  the  Chrysanthemum-flowered,  Peony-flowered, 
Comet,  Branching,  Queen  of  the  Market,  and  Ostrich-plume.  They 
are  equally  fine  in  the  garden  or  the  house.  Get  good  seed;  it 
should  be  plump. 

Sow  under  glass  in  March  or  April,  outdoors  in  May,  sowing 
every  fortnight  till  June,  if  you  want  a  long  season.  Thin  to  six 
inches,  and*  set  out  a  foot  apart  in  late  May.  Put  a  collar  on  each 
plant,  against  the  cutworm.  Use  little  manure.  Fertilize  with 
root-dressing,  and  put  some  finely  sifted  coal  ashes  around  each 
plant.  Dress  also  with  lime  or  wood  ashes.  Should  the  plants 
look  sickly,  mulch  with  tobacco  stems.  If  you  have  sowed  very 
early,  flowers  should  begin  to  appear  in  July.  The  season  lasts  till 
frost,  but  the  faded  flowers  should  be  picked. 

Watch  for  black  beetles,  which  eat  the  flowers.  Pick  them  into 
kerosene  morning  and  evening.  Or  hold  under  them  a  dish  in  which 
is  water  and  a  little  benzene  or  gasoline.  If  aphis  appears  on  the 
stalks,  wash  with  weak  soapsuds  or  kerosene  emulsion. 

Bachelor's  Button,  see  Corn-flower. 

Balm :  An  herb,  used  in  scents  and  seasoning.  A  hardy  peren- 
nial. It  may  be  raised  from  seeds,  cuttings,  or  root  divisions.  Set 
two  feet  by  one. 

Balsam :  A  tender  annual  of  easy  culture,  yielding  stalks  with 
flowers  growing  at  the  bases  of  the  leaves.  The  double  and  ca- 
mellia-flowered varieties  are  the  best.  Buy  good  seed.  Sow  under 
glass  in  April,  outdoors  toward  the  end  of  May.  Thin  seedlings  to 


PLANTING  LIST 


317 


six  inches ;  set  out  from  one  to  two  feet  apart.  The  plants  are  bushy, 
especially  if  transplanted  two  or  three  times,  and  are  two  or  three  feet 
high.  Early  started  plants  should  flower  in  July,  and  the  season  lasts 
till  fall.  The  flowers  will  be  better  if  the  buds  are  cut  until  the 
plants  are  vigorously  growing ;  the  best  stalks  are  got  by  allowing 
only  a  few  stalks  to 'grow  and 
pinching  out  all  the  rest.  Bal- 
sam does  best  on  a  rich,  light 
soil,  with  plenty  of  moisture. 

Basil  is  an  annual  herb,  ten- 
der, its  leaves  used  for  season- 
ing, tasting  of  cloves.  Sow 
seed  under  glass,  or  outdoors 
when  frosts  are  past.  Dis- 
tances, one  foot  by  six  inches. 

Beans :  Among  our  most 
valuable  vegetables,  yielding 
dishes  of  a  good  many  kinds. 
For  the  table,  they  fall  into  the 
classes  of  snap  and  shell  beans ; 
but  nowadays,  the  pods  of 
many  of  the  best  shell  beans 
snap  clean,  and  may  be  used 
for  eating ;  while  on  the  other 
hand  all  of  the  snap  beans  may,  when  large,  be  used  as  shell  beans. 
Beans  are  also  divided  into  kidneys  and  limas,  the  latter  of  which 
are  broad,  flat,  and  white.  Limas  are  of  slower  growth.  The  only 
perennial  bean  is  the  Scarlet  Runner,  whose  flowers  are  brightly 
colored.  All  beans  are  tender,  and  should  be  grown  as  annuals. 

For  the  garden,  beans  classify  as  dwarf  and  tall.  The  dwarf 
are  earlier  and  a  little  hardier ;  the  tall  beans  are  usually  called  pole 
beans,  since  they  must  be  given  something  to  grow  on.  If  the 
gardener  wishes  to  take  much  pains,  beans  may  be  raised  under 
glass  and  set  out,  but  this  is  seldom  done. 

Sow  Dwarfs  (or  Bush  beans)  in  rows  a  foot  or  more  apart.    Sow 


FIG.  176.  —  STRING  BEANS. 
Pick  them  while  young. 


318 


PLANTING   LIST 


in  late  May  for  security,  though  I  always  risk  a  sowing  in  April,  and 
seldom  lose  it.  Sow  again  every  two  or  three  weeks  until  August. 
Set  the  seed  an  inch  or  more  in  depth.  Thin  to  four  inches. 
Cultivate  well,  but  do  not  brush  against  the  plants  if  they  are  wet, 
especially  if  young.  This  care  should  be  taken  with  all  beans. 
Sow  pole  beans  in  rows  three  or  four  feet  apart,  or  set  them  in 

a  row  at  the  back  of  a 
small  garden.  They  may 
be  either  in  hills,  two  feet 
apart,  with  a  pole  set 
firmly  in  each  hill ;  or  they 
may  be  in  a  row,  with  a 
trellis  running  the  length 
of  it.  Excellent  trellises 
may  be  made  of  stakes 
and  string;  they  give 
more  air  and  sun  to  the 
plants.  Thin  the  plants 
to  six  inches  in  the  row, 
four  plants  to  the  hill. 

Pick  all  beans  when 
young,  whether  for  snap 
beans  or  shell  beans. 
They  are  much  more  deli- 
cate so.  When  ripe  they 
may  be  dried  and  stored 
FIG.  177.  —  "  Turnip  "§  beets.  for  the  winter. 

Cutworms     are     often 

troublesome  with  beans.  Bait  or  dig  for  them.  The  only  other 
serious  trouble  is  a  rust  or  spot  on  the  pods.  The  best  remedy  is 
good  seed  and  good  feeding. 

For  variety,  get  a  wax-podded  as  well  as  a  green-podded  string 
bean.  The  earliest  lima  is  the  Henderson's  Bush,  a  small  bean  of 
which  the  tall  variety  is  the  Sieva.  Large  limas  are  Burpee's 
Bush  (dwarf)  and  Challenger  (tall).  A  reliable  shell  bean  is  the 
Horticultural,  both  tall  and  dwarf.  Much  better  is  the  Flageolet, 


PLANTING  LIST  319 

just  beginning  to  be  imported  from  France.  The  Scarlet  Runner  is 
perhaps  the  best  bean  for  a  very  small  garden,  since  it  yields  flowers, 
snap  beans,  and  shell  beans.  The  English  broad  bean  is  not  much 
grown  in  America,  since  it  does  poorly,  and  cannot  compare  with  the 
lima,  which  the  Englishman  cannot  grow. 

Beans  will  grow  in  almost  any  garden  soil.     Give  no  fresh  manure. 

Beets :  A  very  useful  vegetable,  yielding  both  greens  and  roots. 
The  greens  with  very  small  beets  make  a  delicious  dish.  The 
form  of  the  root  is  either  long  or  round,  with  the  round  more  popu- 
lar nowadays,  since  they  grow  quicker.  Beets  are  very  hardy. 
Sow  thinly,  since  each  seed  gives  several  plants.  Soak  the  seed 
overnight  to  hasten  sprouting.  Beets  like  a  medium  soil,  moist 
but  not  wet.  Fertilize  with  top-dressing.  They  can  be  much 
helped  by  nitrate  of  soda,  applied  beside  the  young  plants. 

Sow  the  seed  in  rows  nine  to  eighteen  inches  apart,  if  the 
garden  is  to  be  cultivated  by  hand  tools.  If  the  seed  is  thinly 
sowed,  the  plants  need  not  be  thinned  until  they  are  large  enough 
to  be  used  as  greens.  Then  thin  to  an  inch  or  more  apart,  and  re- 
peat until  the  plants  stand  three  or  four  inches  apart.  Keep  on 
taking  out  every  other  plant  as  needed,  until  they  all  are  gone. 
Beets  may  be  planted  under  glass  in  March,  outdoors  in  April,  and 
every  two  or  three  weeks  until  August,  or  for  greens  even  later. 
They  are  seldom  transplanted.  Roots  dug  in  the  fall  should  be 
stored  in  wet  sand,  to  prevent  shriveling. 

Begonias :  Ornamental  plants,  often  of  the  brightest  and  most 
profuse  flowers,  or  of  handsome  foliage.  They  are  of  little  value 
out  of  doors,  except  in  a  shady  border  or  along  the  north  wall  of  a 
house,  where  they  show  brilliantly.  They  divide  into  three  classes. 

Tuberous-rooted  begonias  may  be  grown  from  seed  or  from  tubers. 
The  seed  may  be  started  in  March  or  April,  by  simply  pressing  it 
into  the  soil.  Keep  moist  and  in  darkness  till  sprouted.  Trans- 
plant early  into  pots,  and  bring  along  rapidly  under  considerable 
heat.  Do  not  set  outdoors  until  June,  in  moist  but  well  drained 
soil,  and  at  least  in  partial  shade.  To  grow  the  plants  from  seed  is 
difficult,  therefore  it  is  best  to  buy  tubers.  Plant  these  with  the 


320  PLANTING  LIST 

hollow  side  up,  and  in  the  fall  lift  them,  dry,  and  store  hi  a  cool  but 
dry  place. 

Fibrous-rooted  begonias  are  best  grown  from  stem  cuttings,  taken 
from  the  half  ripened  wood.  Set  in  sand,  keep  moist,  and  they  will 
root  readily. 

Rex  begonias  are  grown  for  the  beauty  of  their  variegated  leaves, 
which  are  much  admired.  They  are  best  for  the  house.  They 
start  readily  from  leaf  cuttings,  set  edge  down,  or  made  with  a  point 
at  the  joining  of  veins,  which  is  set  in  the  earth.  Or  lay  the  whole 
leaf  flat,  cut  through  the  veins  at  several  points,  and  keep  the  leaf 
pressed  down  by  a  weight  until  the  roots  start.  The  young  plants 
should  then  be  grown  in  pots. 

Belvidere,  see  Kochia. 
Black-eyed  Susan,  see  Cone-flower. 
Blanket  Flower,  see  Gaillardia. 

Bleeding-heart :  An  old-fashioned  favorite,  a  hardy  perennial 
whose  drooping  pink  and  white  heart-shaped  flowers,  borne  on  bend- 
ing stems,  are  coming  again  to  popularity.  Left  undisturbed  in 
the  garden,  in  time  it  becomes  a  large  plant ;  the  roots  should  there- 
fore be  given  about  thirty  inches  space.  It  likes  a  light  and  rich 
soil  and  partial  shade.  Flowers  come  about  the  first  of  June.  Buy 
the  roots,  and  set  them  a  couple  of  inches  deep,  in  soil  which  has 
been  deeply  enriched  with  manure  or  compost. 

Boltonia :  A  hardy  perennial  plant,  which  on  account  of  its  height 
(5-7  feet)  should  be  used  at  the  back  of  the  border.  Its  flowers, 
white  or  pink  or  violet  with  yellow  centers,  are  freely  borne  in 
autumn  in  large  clusters,  and  are  very  handsome.  Th'e  roots  may 
be  bought  of  nurserymen,  and  a  single  small  clump  increases  rapidly. 
The  roots  may  be  divided  in  spring  or  fall,  and  set  out  afresh.  Space 
30  inches  apart ;  cover  two  inches. 

Borage  is  a  pretty  annual  herb,  its  leaves  used  for  seasoning  in 
salads  and  cooking.  It  is  tender ;  sow  under  glass,  or  after  frosts 
are  past.  Succession  every  three  weeks.  Distance,  one  foot  by 
six. 


PLANTING  LIST 


321 


Broccoli :  An  English  vegetable,  grown  much  like  the  cauliflower, 
which  it  resembles.  As  it  is  no  easier  to  grow  than  the  cauliflower, 
and  less  delicate  in  taste,  it  is  not  popular  in  America. 

Brussels  Sprouts :  Very  hardy  members  of  the  cabbage  family ; 
the  plants  form  tiny  cabbages  in  the  axils  of  the  leaf-stalks.  The 
plant  requires  a  long  season,  and  is  best  after  frosts.  Sow  in  late 
April,  and  for  best 
success  keep  covered, 
like  cabbage,  with 
cheesecloth,  after  thin- 
ning the  plants  to 
stand  three  inches  or 
more  apart .  Set  them 
in  the  field  in  June, 
from  fifteen  inches  to 
two  feet  apart  accord- 
ing to  whether  they  are 
dwarf  or  tall.  The 
dwarf  plants  often 
bear  loose  sprouts, 
which  the  aphis  enters 
and  cannot  be  dis- 
lodged from ;  close 
sprouts  afe  therefore 
better.  Feed  the 
plants  well  with  top- 
dressing,  or  with  nitrate  of  soda  or  manure  water  every  fortnight. 
When  the  sprouts  begin  to  form,  break  off  the  neighboring  leaves, 
and  nip  out  the  crown.  When  very  heavy  frosts  come  in  the  north, 
the  plants  may  be  hung  indoors  in  a  cool  cellar ;  but  toward  the 
south  they  may  stand  outdoors  all  winter. 

Cabbage :  A  widely  grown  vegetable,  hardy,  and  offered  by  seeds- 
men in  many  varieties.  There  are  large  and  late,  or  dwarf  and 
early  forms,  red  varieties,  and  very  crinkled  ones  called  Savoys. 
The  common  green  cabbage  is  either  heart  shaped,  round,  or  flattish. 


FIG.  178.  —  Cabbages  —  Savoys  in  front. 


322  PLANTING  LIST 

Perhaps  the  most  popular  cabbages  are  the  Jersey  Wakefield,  small 
and  early,  the  Danish  Ball-head,  large  and  late,  and  the  Flat  Dutch, 
also  large  and  late.  The  early  varieties  will  soon  split  if  left  in  the 
field,  and  do  not  keep  well.  But  to  keep  even  the  late  cabbages 
over  winter  is  difficult,  unless  one  has  a  very  cool  dry  cellar,  or  can 
store  them  in  the  field  out  of  reach  of  moisture  or  frost.  Buy  only 
good  seed. 

Sow  under  glass  in  late  March  or  early  April,  out  of  doors  in  late 
April  and  early  May.  The  safest  way  to  raise  cabbages,  in  regions 
where  they  are  troubled  by  the  maggot  (which,  hatching  from  eggs 
laid  by  a  fly,  eats  the  root)  is  to  sow  them  in  a  light  frame  over 

which  cheesecloth  has  been 
tacked.  Never  raise  the 
frame  except  when  cultivating 
or  thinning,  and  replace  it  at 
once.  Thin  the  plants  to 
three  inches  apart,  and  keep 
them  under  the  cloth  until 
they  are  six  inches  tall.  In  the 
FIG.  179.  —  THE  CABBAGE- WORM  garden,  dwarfs  should  be  fifteen 
BUTTERFLY.  inches  apart,  larger  kinds  two 

Catch  him  if  you  can.  *     , 

Set  the  plants  (each  with  a  collar  to  protect  from  cutworms)  in 
the  field  in  late  May  or  early  June.  A  handful  of  old  manure,  or 
of  compost,  under  each  plant,  will  help  greatly.  Water  well  at 
first,  and  cultivate  carefully  at  all  times.  Feed  with  top-dressing, 
and  if  possible  with  a  little  nitrate  of  soda  or  manure-water  every 
two  or  three  weeks. 

The  next  danger  to  the  plants  is  the  cabbage  worm,  a  fat  green 
caterpillar  almost  the  color  of  the  leaves.  It  is  hatched  from  eggs 
laid  by  the  yellow  butterfly;  catch  and  destroy  these.  As  soon 
as  the  worms  are  discovered,  pick  them  off;  or  when  the  first  of 
them  are  seen  sift  fresh  hellebore  on  the  plants.  Or  mix  an  ounce 
of  Paris  green  with  six  pounds  of  flour  and  apply  this  lightly,  when 
the  dew  is  on.  In  such  small  doses  it  is  not  poisonous  to  man. 

Cut  early  cabbages  as  soon  as  their  heads  are  firm.     Cut  late 


PLANTING  LIST  323 

cabbages  when  heavy  frosts  come,  and  store  in  a  dry  cool  place, 
after  picking  off  all  outer, or  sickly  leaves. 

If  club-root  gets  into  the  patch,  do  not  plant  any  of  the  cabbage 
family  (Brussels  sprouts,  cauliflower,  turnip)  in  the  garden  for 
three  years.  If  leaf  diseases  attack  the  plants,  burn  the  leaves. 

Calendula  (Pot  Marigold  or  Scotch  Marigold) :  A  hardy  annual 
flowering  plant,  whose  blossoms  (in  all  shades  of  yellow)  come  from 
summer  till  heavy  frosts,  if  regularly  picked.  The  plant  grows 
about  a  foot  tall,  and  is  used  to  make  masses  of  color  in  the  border, 
as  well  as  for  picking.  Sow  under  glass  about  the  first  of  April, 
outdoors  a  month  later,  and  thin  or  transplant  to  stand  a  foot  apart. 
Seedlings  under  glass  do  best  if  potted. 

California  Poppy,  or  Eschscholtzia :  A  perennial,  usually  treated 
as  a  hardy  annual,  is  a  plant  of  thin  bluish  foliage,  bearing  many 
yellow  flowers  which,  if  regularly  picked  off,  come  all  summer  and 
even  after  light  frosts.  It  is  a  very  popular  garden  plant.  Sow 
the  seed  very  shallow,  and  as  early  as  possible,  and  thin  to  about 
a  foot  apart.  If  transplanted,  much  earth  should  be  taken  with 
the  root.  Toward  the  south  the  plants  will  often  live  over  winter. 
Seed  sown  as  soon  as  ripe  will  give  plants  which,  if  lightly  mulched, 
will  live  over  winter  and  give  very  early  flowers. 

Calliopsis,  see  Coreopsis. 

Campanula,  see  Canterbury  Bell. 

Candytuft :  A  very  useful  hardy  flowering  plant  which  comes  in 
both  annual  and  perennial  forms,  and  in  various  colors,  but  which 
is  most  popular  in  its  annual  white  variety,  which  is  commonly  used 
in  masses  and  edgings.  It  is  low  and  bushy,  bearing  many  flower- 
heads  which  almost  hide  the  foliage.  There  are  also  pink  and  red 
varieties.  The  flowers  are  attractive  in  the  house,  and  should  be 
regularly  cut  if  the  bloom  is  to  continue.  Sow  out  of  doors  in  April, 
where  the  plants  are  to  stand,  and  thin  to  about  9  inches.  The  soil 
should  be  rich  and  moist  if  possible,  but  the  plant  does  well  almost 
anywhere.  For  continual  bloom,  sow  again  in  May  and  June. 

Perennial  candytuft  is  an  evergreen  plant,  easily  grown  from 
seed.  Sow  in  spring,  thin  or  transplant  in  June  to  9  inches  apart, 


324  PLANTING  LIST 

and  in  September  set  18  inches  apart  where  the  plants  are  to  remain. 
They  make  fine  masses  of  flowers  early  in  the  second  year.  Or  sow 
in  August,  and  winter  under  a  little  mulch,  setting  out  the  plants  in 
earliest  spring. 

Canna :  A  very  tender  bedding  plant  which  bears,  in  the  old  and 
taller  varieties  (7-10  feet)  very  handsome  leaves,  but  in  the  new 
dwarf  French  varieties  (4  feet)  handsome  red  or  yellow  flowers  as 
well.  The  plants  are  usually  massed  at  the  back  of  borders  or  the 
middle  of  beds.  Their  flowers  are  not  useful  for  cutting,  but  should 
be  picked  as  soon  as  they  fade. 

Cannas  may  be  raised  from  seed,  and  for  early  effect  should  be 
started  under  glass.  Soak  the  seed  for  a  day  in  warm  water,  or  else 
file  the  skin,  taking  care  not  to  injure  the  germ.  Keep  moist  and 
warm  till  the  seeds  sprout.  Set  out  the  plants  from  15  inches  (in 
beds)  to  30  inches  (if  single)  apart,  and  cultivate  well,  giving  at  first 
a  little  top-dressing.  When  the  plants  are  killed  by  frost,  dig  the 
roots  and  store  them  like  potatoes. 

These  roots  may  be  used  next  spring  for  raising  plants.  If  not 
too  large,  they  may  be  planted  whole;  but  they  may  be  divided 
like  potatoes,  with  two  or  three  eyes  to  each  piece.  Start  them  in 
pots  under  glass,  or  set  outdoors  in  late  May.  If  started  under 
glass,  harden  off,  and  set  out  in  early  June.  The  soil  for  cannas 
should  be  deep,  the  position  sunny. 

Canterbury  Bell,  or  Bell-flower :  A  fine  old-fashioned  flower, 
still  very  popular  with  those  who  are  willing  to  take  the  trouble 
to  raise  a  plant  which  seldom  blooms  the  first  year,  and  which 
dies  at  the  end  of  the  second.  Nevertheless,  if  started  in  March 
under  glass,  hardened  off,  and  set  out  in  late  May,  the  Canterbury 
Bell  will  give  good  bloom  the  first  year.  Its  colors  are  white  or  blue. 
The  large  flowers  are  borne  on  tall  stalks,  plentifully.  One  va- 
riety is  named  the  Cup-and-saucer,  because  of  its  shape.  There 
are  perennials  of  the  same  family  (Campanula)  which  bear  smaller 
flowers,  and  which  may  be  raised  from  seed,  as  described  below, 
or  set  out  from  divided  roots. 

Sow  early  under  glass  for  bloom  the  same  year ;    pot,  or  thin  to 


PLANTING  LIST 


325 


4  or  6  inches;  harden  off,  and  set  out  in  late  May.  Or  sow  out- 
doors in  April,  and  transplant  to  15  inches  or  more.  Such  plants 
should  be  mulched  over  winter,  or  covered  with  a  cold-frame. 
If  the  seed  bed  is  shady,  and  the  plants  are  twice  transplanted,  in 
July  to  6  inches  or  more,  in  September  to  their  permanent  places, 
15  inches  or  more  apart,  they  will  be  better  able  to  stand  the  win- 
ter. Feed  them  in  spring 
with  bone-meal. 

Good  plants  may  be 
raised  from  freshly  ripe 
seed,  sown  in  August  as 
soon  as  dry.  Thin  as 
above,  mulch  over  win- 
ter, and  set  out  in  spring. 

Caraway  :  An  herb, 
grown  for  its  seeds,  had 
best  be  grown  as  a  half 
hardy  biennial.  Sow  in 
spring  or  midsummer, 
and  protect  over  winter. 
Distances,  one  foot  by 
six  inches. 

Carnation,  see  Pink. 

Carrot:  A  vegetable 
not  yet  enough  grown  in 
its  finer  varieties,  which 
are  small,  early,  and  deli- 

cate. It  is  a  hardy  plant,  whose  roots  must  not  be  left  in  the  ground 
in  the  North  over  winter,  but  should  be  stored  in  a  cool  place, 
and  preferably  in  moist  sand.  It  is  of  very  easy  culture,  provided 
it  is  properly  thinned  ;  it  has  almost  no  diseases,  and  no  pests  except 
the  parsley  worm,  which  is  easily  detected  and  killed.  The  best 
kinds  for  the  table  are  the  early  French  forcing  and  the  half- 
long. 

Sow  the  seed,  covering  lightly,  in  any  good  soil  early  in  spring. 


_  French  fordng  carrotg  are  fine 
for  the  table. 


326  PLANTING  LIST 

Sow  thinly,  or  the  work  of  thinning  will  be  considerable.  Thin 
when  the  plants  are  well  up,  the  small  varieties  to  three  inches,  the 
larger  to  six.  Cultivate  carefully  when  young,  for  the  foliage  is 
very  delicate  and  is  easily  buried.  Sow  again  for  succession  at  in- 
tervals of  three  weeks,  until  late  June. 

Castor  Bean,  or  Castor-oil  Plant  (Ricinus) :  Grows  from  four 
to  more  than  six  feet  tall,  with  large  red  or  bronze  leaves,  and  is 
used  as  a  handsome  background  for  beds,  or  for  a  screen  in  summer. 
It  is  tender,  and  must  be  started  under  glass  in  March  or  April,  or 
planted  outdoors  in  late  May.  It  likes  a  rich  and  moist  soil,  a  sunny 
situation,  and  good  culture.  Set  the  plants  from  eighteen  inches 
to  three  feet  apart,  according  to  their  variety. 

Catnip  :  A  hardy  perennial  herb ;  its  leaves  are  used  in  seasoning, 
or  to  give  to  cats.  Sow  in  May.  Distances,  eighteen  inches  by  six. 

Cauliflower :  A  plant  of  the  cabbage  family,  very  widely  grown. 
In  hot,  dry. situations  it  does  not  do  well,  but  with  a  fair  amount 
of  moisture  it  will  grow  in  most  gardens.  It  comes  in  dwarf  (early) 
and  large  (late)  kinds,  and  its  distances  should  accordingly  be  15 
or  24  inches.  Get  the  very  best  seed.  It  is  treated  in  many  ways 
like  cabbage :  sow  in  a  frame  or  seed  bed  in  April  and  May ;  keep 
it  under  cheesecloth  if  possible,  wherever  the  maggot  is  troublesome ; 
thin  to  three  inches  apart ;  set  out  when  six  inches  tall  or  more, 
with  collars  against  cutworms;  watch  for  the  cabbage  butterfly, 
and  the  first  appearance  of  the  worms ;  burn  all  diseased  leaves. 

When  the  plant  is  ready  to  flower  it  makes  its  head  at  the  very 
center  of  the  plant.  From  this  time  on  examine  carefully  for  worms. 
Either  pick  them  by  hand,  or  poison  them,  before  the  appearance 
of  the  blossom.  When  the  flower  begins  to  push  aside  the  large 
leaves,  so  that  it  is  exposed  to  the  sun,  tie  the  leaves  over  it  with 
string  or  raffia,  to  keep  it  shaded.  But  occasionally  open  the  leaves, 
to  make  sure  that  no  worms  have  entered.  Cut  the  head  while  it 
is  still  firm  and  close ;  if  left  too  long,  it  will  begin  to  spread  out. 

Celery :  A  vegetable  delicacy,  not  easily  raised  by  young  garden- 
ers, but  always  worth  the  raising.  Earliest  varieties  are  the  self- 


PLANTING  LIST 


327 


blanching.  For  winter  storage  the  greener  kinds  are  better.  There 
is  a  pinkish  variety.  Get  good  seed.  The  soil  should  be  deep, 
rich,  and  moist. 

Sow  under  glass  in  March,  or  outdoors  in  a  carefully  prepared 
seed  bed  in  April,  and  thin  to  an  inch  apart.  Then  transplant 
twice  if  possible,  be- 
fore the  plants  are  set 
in  the  garden.  This  is 
to  make  them  stockier, 
and  to  get  better  roots. 
The  plants  may  be 
bought,  but  they  are 
seldom  so  good.  Set 
the  plants  in  the  garden 
during  May  and  June, 
the  early  rows  18 
inches,  the  late  kinds 
four  feet  apart,  the 
plants  nine  inches  or 
more  in  the  rows. 
Feed  at  each  trans- 
planting with  nitrate 
of  soda.  Cultivate 
regularly,  and  keep  the 
plants  growing  fast. 

Blanching  the  plants 
needs  care.  The  early 
kinds  are  blanched 
by  setting  boards  beside 

them  to  keep  out  the  light ;  if  blanched  with  earth  they  are  likely 
to  rot.  Get  hemlock  boards  at  least  a  foot  broad ;  they  will  last 
for  years.  Set  them  on  edge  on  either  side  of  the  row,  leaning 
inward,  and  held  at  the  top  by  cleats  or  wires.  At  the  bottom, 
stop  all  holes  with  earth.  Such  plants  will  usually  be  blanched  be- 
fore heavy  frosts. 

The  greener  kinds,  which  grow  more  slowly,  are  usually  blanched 


FIG.  181.  —  When  you  can  grow  celery  like  this, 
you  really  are  a  vegetable  gardener. 


328 


PLANTING  LIST 


with  earth.  It  is  best  to  begin  by  tying  the  heads  closely,  to  keep 
out  the  dirt.  Then  take  earth  from  between  the  rows,  and  earth 
up  the  plants  a  few  inches  every  week,  until  only  the  leaves  are 
showing.  When  thus  covered  the  stalks  will  gradually  turn  white. 
As  heavy  frosts  come,  the  plants  may  be  covered  with  leaves  or 


FIG.  182.  —  The  earthing  of  celery  should  be  done  carefully. 

straw,  and  by  December  they  should  be  covered  with  boards  or 
sashes,  to  keep  out  the  wet.  They  can  then  be  taken  out  as  needed 
in  the  winter. 

Or  they  may  be  stored  in  the  cellar.  In  a  pit,  or  in  deep  boxes, 
have  a  few  inches  of  soil.  The  plants  should  not  be  too  much 
blanched,  or  they  will  rot.  When  heavy  frosts  begin,  take  up  each 
plant  with  a  cube  of  earth,  and  pack  them  closely  together  under 
cover.  If  they  should  begin  to  wilt  water  them,  but  do  not  wet 
the  leaves  or  stalks.  See  Fig.  20. 


PLANTING  LIST  329 

Centaur ea,  see  Corn-flower. 

Chard,  or  Swiss  Chard:  A  hardy  vegetable  which  has  recently 
become  popular,  and  rightly  so.  All  summer  it  will  yield  greens, 
as  well  as  firm  white  stalks,  for  the  table.  There  are  two  or  three 
kinds ;  the  best  has  a  dark  green  glossy  leaf,  with  broad  and  white 
stalks.  Sow  thinly  in  earliest  spring  in  rows  a  foot  or  more  apart, 
after  soaking  the  seed.  Do  not  thin  till  the  plants  are  nearly  six 
inches  tall,  when  the  thinnings  may  be  eaten.  Thin  again  until 
the  plants  stand  a  foot  apart.  Feed  with  top-dressing,  and  with 
nitrate  of. soda  every  fortnight.  Pick  the  leaves  as  needed,  taking 
care  not  to  exhaust  the  plants.  There  are  no  troublesome  pests  or 
diseases. 

Chives,  or  Chive,  or  Give :  A  hardy  plant  of  the  onion  family, 
perennial,  growing  in  clumps  which  spread  rapidly  and  are  easily 
divided.  It  is  frequently  sold  in  provision  stores  in  spring.  Planted 
in  a  damp  rich  soil  it  lives  from  year  to  year,  and  is  often  handsome 
with  blue  flowers  which  bear  no  seed.  It  is  used  for  flavoring. 

Chrysanthemums  :  These  fall  into  two  classes,  annual  and  peren- 
nial. Both  are  hardy. 

Annual  Chrysanthemums:  Mostly  single  flowers,  the  blooms 
mostly  white  and  the  yellows,  with  dark  centers,  hardy,  and  easily 
grown  from  seed.  Among  them  is  the  Shasta  Daisy.  They  are  fine 
for  cutting,  or  for  massing  in  the  garden,  and  they  bloom  from  July 
till  after  frost.  Their  height  ranges  from  one  to  three  feet.  Sow 
under  glass  in  April,  outdoors  in  May,  and  set  out  from  one  to  two 
feet  apart,  according  to  the  size  of  the  variety.  The  soil  need  not 
be  rich. 

Perennial  Chrysanthemums:  These  are  among  the  finest  flowers 
that  grow,  though  chiefly  the  Japanese  and  the  pompon  kinds  are 
suited  for  the  garden.  They  may  be  raised  from  seed,  like  the 
annuals,  but  are  most  easily  grown  from  root  divisions.  Japanese 
varieties  are  late,  though  recent  varieties  flower  as  early  as  August. 
For  a  flower  requiring  little  care,  and  blooming  at  a  time  when  almost 
all  other  flowers  are  gone,  the  pompon  chrysanthemum  cannot  be 
too  highly  praised.  It  likes  sun  and  a  rich  soil,  but  requires  no 


330 


PLANTING  LIST 


protection  beyond  the  breaking  down  of  its  tops  over  the  roots. 
The  flowers  are  very  double,  small,  not  more  than  two  inches  across, 
but  are  borne  profusely  in  clusters,  in  late  October  and  in  November, 
lasting  after  heavy  frosts  begin,  and  killed  only  by  repeated  freezing, 
or  by  being  frozen  when  wet.  Their  finest  colors  are  yellow  and 
red.  They  multiply  rapidly,  should  be  set  out  in  spring  (not  in  fall, 

for  their  roots  are  very  short), 
and  should  stand  but  a  few 
inches  apart  for  massed  bloom. 
Most  of  them  grow  so  tall  that 
they  should  be  staked. 

Perennial  chrysanthemums 
may  also  be  raised  from  cut- 
tings of  the  stem. 

If  some  of  the  flowers  are 
nipped  off  when  in  bud,  early, 
the  remainder  will  grow  much 
larger. 

Cive,  see  Chives. 
Clarkia:  A  hardy  annual, 
growing  from  eighteen  inches 
to  two  feet  high,  and  bearing 
single  or  double  rose  or  white 
flowers  very  freely  through 
July  and  August.  They  are 
fine  for  bedding  or  cut  flowers. 
Sow  in  any  ordinary  soil,  but  best  in  partial  shade,  outdoors  in 
April  and  May.  Thin  the  shorter  kinds  to  about  ten  inches,  the 
larger  to  eighteen. 

Clematis,  see  chapter  on  vines. 

Clove  Pink,  see  Pink. 

Cockscomb :  A  curious  flower  of  the  Celosia  family,  decorative, 
but  not  much  grown  in  gardens.  More  beautiful  is  the  Ostrich 
Feather,  of  the  same  family.  Colors  are  reds  and  yellows.  The 
plants  are  half-hardy  annuals;  they  may  be  started  under  glass 


FIG.  183.  —  Columbine  is  airy  and 
charming. 


PLANTING  LIST  331 

in  April,  or  sowed  outdoors  in  mid-May.  _  They  will  grow  in  any 
fairly  moist  soil.  Thin  or  transplant  the  dwarfs  to  12  inches,  the 
taller  kinds  to  two  feet  or  more.  When  cut  before  they  are  ripe, 
and  dried,  the  cockscombs  may  be  kept  for  winter  bouquets. 

Columbine,  or  Aquilegia :  A  hardy  perennial,  often  found  grow- 
ing wild,  and  easily  grown  in  most  garden  soils.  It  is  naturally 
red  and  yellow  flowered,  but  there  are  modern  varieties  in  white 
and  blue ;  these  like  partial  shade.  The  plants  do  not  like  wind. 
Once  established,  they  grow  freely  from  their  own  seed.  This  the 
gardener  can  sow  as  soon  as  ripe ;  or  he  may  sow  bought  seed  in 
early  spring,  covering  slightly,  where  the  plants  are  to  stand.  The 
young  plants  should  be  thinned  to  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches,  or  with 
care  may  be  transplanted.  The  flowers  come  in  late  May  or  early 
June,  and  for  their  brightness  and  delicacy  should  be  in  every  peren- 
nial garden. 

Cone-flower,  or  Rudbeckia  (see  also  Golden  Glow),  one  variety 
of  which  is  called  Black-eyed  Susan,  is  a  hardy  perennial  which  may 
be  grown  as  an  annual.  The  colors  are  yellow  with  prominent 
brown  centers,  and  the  flowers  are  showy.  The  plants  may  be 
grown  from  seeds  sown  in  early  spring  in  any  soil,  and  thinned 
to  about  a  foot  apart.  They  may  also  be  grown  from  root  divisions. 
They  are  handsome  in  clumps  in  the  garden  in  midsummer,  and  the 
taller  kinds  may  be  used  as  a  background. 

Coreopsis,  or  Calliopsis :  A  bright-colored  hardy  flower  in  both 
annual  and  perennial  varieties,  yellow  with  brown  centers.  The 
flowers  are  plentiful,  showy,  and  easily  grown ;  they  last  from  mid- 
summer until  frost.  Grown  on  long  stems,  they  make  good  decora- 
tions for  the  house.  Sow  in  March  or  April  under  glass,  outdoors 
in  late  April  and  May.  Thin  or  transplant  to  about  a  foot  apart- 
The  annual  varieties  should  be  tried  by  all  beginners. 

Corn,  or  Sweet  Corn :  This  vegetable  should  be  grown  in  every 
garden,  for  the  dwarfs  will  find  a  place  in  even  the  smallest  patch. 
It  is  a  very  tender  plant,  killed  by  the  slightest  frost ;  but  some 
varieties  ripen  so  early  that  it  is  worth  growing  anywhere.  Kinds 
are  usually  white  or  yellow,  and  tall  and  short.  Its  worst  enemy 


332 


PLANTING  LIST 


is  the  cutworm,  against  which  use  baits  before  the  plants  are  up. 
Sow  tall  kinds  in  hills,  two  feet  by  four,  and  thin  to  three  or  four 
plants.  Short  kinds  may  be  grown  in  rows,  about  three  feet  apart, 
the  plants  nine  to  twelve  inches  apart  in  the  rows.  Cultivate  often, 
but  not  deeply,  and  feed  well,  with  root  dressing.  If  the  smut 
appears,  swelling  and  blackening  the  kernels,  the  affected  ears  should 
be  burned.  The  corn  is  not  ready  for  the  table  until  the  silk  is 
shriveled  and  dry;  the  ears  should  be  well  filled  out  to  the  tip. 
If  only  one  variety  is  grown,  and  the  ears  are  uniform,  plump,  and 
regular,  seed  may  be  saved  for  next  year's  planting.  For  this  pur- 
pose, let  the  ears 
ripen  on  the  stalk ; 
dry,  and  store  in  a 
cool,  dry  garret 
out  of  reach  of 
mice. 

Corn  may  be 
started  in  frames, 
and  planted  out 
in  late  May.  In 
the  open  I  always 
risk  an  April  sow- 
ing, and  plant 
every  two  weeks 
until  the  middle  of 
June,  or  later. 

Field  corn  is  often  very  successfully  grown  by  boys.  For  this 
purpose  test  seed  as  described  in  the  chapter  on  the  subject.  Soils 
should  be  fertilized  with  special  fertilizer,  and  if  possible  manured. 
Plant  the  hills  four  feet  by  two.  Cultivate  as  often  as  it  rains,  and 
at  least  weekly  through  a  drought,  keeping  account  of  the  time 
spent.  All  accounts  should  be  carefully  kept  of  such  a  project  as 
this.  The  corn,  when  ripe,  should  be  kept  in  the  ear,  and  good  ears 
graded  out  for  next  year's  use.  Ten  of  the  best,  carefully  chosen 
for  regularity  of  rows,  fullness  of  both  tip  and  butt,  and  evenness 
and  depth  of  kernels,  should  be  chosen  for  exhibition  purposes. 


FIG.  184.  —  CORN  SMUT. 
Watch  for  it  and  destroy  it. 


,  PLANTING  LIST 


333 


Pop  corn  is  smaller  than  field  corn  and  most  varieties  of  sweet 
corn.  Plant  in  hills,  two  feet  each  way,  or  in  rows  thirty  inches 
apart,  the  plants  nine  inches  apart  in  the  rows.  Cultivate  like 
field  corn,  and  when  the  crop  is  picked,  save  specimen  ears  for 
exhibition,  and  for  next  year's  sowing. 

Corn-flower  (Centaurea),  is  also  called  Bachelor's  Button,  Kaiser- 
blume,  and  Ragged  Sailor, 
while  a  sweet-scented  and 
larger,  but  less  freely 
blooming,  "variety  is  called 
Sweet  Sultan.  It  is  a 
flower  grown  mostly  as  a 
hardy  annual.  Varieties 
are  in  several  colors,  but 
the  old-fashioned  and  still 
most  popular  corn-flower 
is  in  blue,  very  freely 
flowering,  and  blooming 
from  July  till  frost,  if  not 
allowed  to  go  to  seed. 
The  flowers  are  not  showy, 
but  are  very  pleasing, 
and  are  good  for  cutting. 
Sow  outdoors,  broadcast, 
in  April  and  early  May, 
and  thin  or  transplant  to 
about  a  foot  apart. 

Perennials      may      be 
treated  like  the  annuals,  or  sown  in  late  summer  and  wintered  over. 
The  annuals  seed  themselves  freely. 

Cosmos :  This  flower  has  become  much  more  popular  since  the 
development  of  the  early  blooming  varieties,  which  in  the  north  are 
safest  to  plant.  It  is  a  tall,  free-blooming  plant  with  attractive 
feathery  foliage  useful  as  a  background.  Its  best  colors  are  white 
and  pink.  The  varieties  are  from  three  to  six  feet  tall,  the  taller 


FIG.  185.  —  Sweet  Sultan  is  a  very  double 
Corn-flower. 


334  PLANTING  LIST 

being  the  later.  These,  in  order  not  to  be  broken  down,  should  be 
staked  and  tied  early.  They  should  also,  in  order  to  be  sure  of  their 
flowers,  be  sown  as  early  as  possible  under  glass,  and  set  out  as  soon 
as  frosts  are  past.  The  soil  should  not  be  rich,  lest  the  plants  run 
mostly  to  foliage;  it  should  be  light  also.  If  the  plants  grow 
straggly,  they  should  be  pinched  back.  As  they  are  tender,  they 
should  be  protected  against  early  frosts.  The  smaller  varieties 
need  not  be  sowed  so  early,  and  since  they  are  a  little  hardier  than 
the  others,  they  may  be  sowed  outdoors  about  the  first  week  in  May, 
although  it  is  still  wisest  to  sow  under  glass.  The  blossoms  of  the 
newer  varieties  are  often  more  than  three  inches  across,  and  come 
from  the  end  of  July  till  frost. 

Cress :  The  easiest  grown  salad  plant ;  as  its  name  Peppergrass 
shows,  it  is  hot  to  the  taste.  It  likes  cool  weather,  and  does  best 
in  spring  and  fall,  going  quickly  to  seed  in  summer.  It  should  be 
sowed,  broadcast  or  in  rows,  as  soon  as  the  cold-frames  are  set, 
sowing  every  ten  days  until  June,  and  beginning  again  after  the 
middle  of  August.  Cress  is  never  thinned,  but  is  allowed  to  grow 
thickly  and  is  cut  a  handful  at  a  time,  to  use  with  lettuce.  The 
very  curled  varieties  are  nearly  as  handsome  as  Parsley. 

Cypress,  Summer,  see  Kochia. 

Cucumber :  One  of  the  squashes,  a  very  tender  plant  which  has 
several  enemies,  yet  which  on  warm  and  rich  ground  is  not  hard 
to  grow.  There  are  a  good  many  varieties,  many  of  which  are  worth 
any  one's  growing.  Like  all  the  plants  of  its  family,  cucumber 
does  not  like  transplanting,  and  therefore  should,  if  started  under 
glass,  be  sown  in  strawberry  boxes,  or  on  old  sods,  which  may  be 
set  in  the  ground  without  disturbing  the  roots. 

Sow  under  glass  in  March  or  April,  three  seeds  to  the  box,  and 
thin  to  one.  Keep  the  plants  growing  well,  but  do  not  feed  so 
much,  nor  keep  so  moist,  that  they  grow  spindly.  Set  out  in  the 
field  late  in  May,  in  rich  hills  three  feet  or  more  apart,  and  protect 
from  heavy  winds  until  the  plants  are  growing  well.  If  they  are  too 
much  inclined  to  run,  pinch  off  the  ends  of  the  vines  to  make  them 
blossom.  As  one  planting  of  cucumber  will  not  last  all  summer, 


PLANTING  LIST  335 

plant  two  more,  three  or  four  weeks  apart,  and  be  prepared  to  pro- 
tect the  latest  against  frost.  An  excellent  way  to  grow  cucumbers 
in  the  field  is  to  protect  the  hill  with  a  little  frame,  covered  with 
glass  or  perhaps  with  cheesecloth;  keep  the  frame  on  until  the 
plants  get  too  big  for  it.  The  hills  should  not  contain  more  than 
three  plants.  Frames  for  this  purpose,  twenty  inches  square  or 
more,  are  now  sold  by  many  dealers. 

The  worst  disease  of  cucumber  is  mildew ;  against  which,  spray 
before  it  appears,  using  Bordeaux  once  a  week,  and  taking  pains 
to  reach  the  under  sides  of  the  leaves.  The  various  beetles  that 
feed  on  the  plant  are  a  great  nuisance.  It  is  well  to  mix  for  them  a 
poison  with  the  spray.  Or  pick  them  by  hand.  Destroy  squash- 
bugs'  eggs.  The  aphis  should  be  killed  with  soap,  tobacco  water, 
or  kerosene  emulsion.  Burn  all  leaves  or  vines  that  are  diseased. 

Dahlias  :  Seldom  grown  from  seed,  and  this  is  not  advised.  Plant 
them  as  directed  in  Chapter  XXVIII,  give  deep  and  well-worked 
but  not  very  rich  soil,  and  protect  from  strong  winds.  The  stalks 
should  be  tied  to  stakes.  Dahlias  are  tender. 

Daisy :  The  English  (Bellis  perennis) :  A  low,  neat,  and  very 
free-blooming  hardy  perennial  plant,  usually  treated  as  an  annual 
or  a  biennial.  It  is  generally  used  as  an  edging,  where  its  bright- 
colored  flowers  are  very  attractive.  Sow  early,  under  glass,  and 
set  out  about  six  inches  apart  in  May ;  sow  outdoors  in  late  April ; 
or  else  sow  late  in  August,  and  carry  the  plants  over  winter  under 
a  light  mulch,  or  in  a  cold-frame,  and  set  out  in  spring.  These  last 
plants  will  flower  in  May  and  June,  the  others  later.  Our  hot  and 
dry  summers  are  hard  on  this  plant,  or  it  would  be  more  popular 
on  account  of  its  wealth  of  bright  flowers. 

Daisy,  Michaelmas,  see  Perennial  Aster. 

Daisy,  South  African,  see  Dimorpotheca. 

Delphinium,  see  Larkspur. 

Dicentra,  see  Bleeding-heart. 

Digitalis,  see  Foxglove. 

Dimorpotheca,  South  African  Daisy :  A  plant  new  to  this  country, 


336  PLANTING  LIST 

a  half-hardy  annual,  very  welcome  on  account  of  its  orange  flowers, 
freely  borne  in  summer.  New  varieties  are  rapidly  being  developed, 
different  colored  and  larger,  but  the  original  plant  is  still  (1914) 
the  most  dependable.  The  plant  is  small^  about  nine  inches  across, 
with  flowers  on  stems  of  about  the  same  height.  It  is  useful  for 
edgings,  masses,  or  for  cutting.  Sow  under  glass  in  April,  or  out- 
doors in  May,  and  thin  or  transplant  to  about  nine  inches  apart. 
Keep  the  faded  flowers  picked. 

Eggplant:  A  garden  delicacy,  a  tender  plant  not  usually  suc- 
cessful except  with  those  who  are  prepared  to  start  it  early  under 
glass,  and  take  much  pains  with  it.  The  earlier,  dwarf  varieties 
are  best  for  outdoor  culture.  Start  the  plants  in  March  or  early 
April  in  flats,  and  if  possible  transplant  at  the  fourth  leaf  to  pots, 
repotting  as  the  plants  grow.  Do  not  water  or  feed  too  much, 
lest  the  plants  grow  soft.  Set  out  in  the  field  when  frosts  are 
past,  in  hills  where  compost  or  very  well-rotted  manure  has  been 
mixed  with  the  soil,  which  should  be  early  and  warm.  Distances 
for  dwarfs,  two  feet  apart,  for  standards  three  feet.  It  is  well 
to  protect  in  the  field  by  small  cold-frames  at  first.  If  plants 
are  to  be  grown  wholly  in  the  garden,  tKey  should  be  sown  in  such 
frames,  especially  north  of  New  York  City,  and  thinned  to  three 
plants  in  a  hill.  Seedsmen  offer  plants,  a  dozen  in  a  flat,  cheaply 
in  spring.  It  is  well  to  spray  eggplant  with  a  poisoned  Bordeaux, 
against  both  blight  and  insects,  regularly  every  ten  days.  But  the 
flowers  should  not  be  sprayed.  Against  the  aphis  use  soap  or  kero- 
sene emulsion. 

Endive  (pronounced  en'-div) :  This  plant  should  be  carefully 
distinguished  from  the  French  delicacy  Endive  (pronounced  on'-deev) 
which  is  grown  from  a  chicory  root,  and  which  is  best  not  attempted 
except  by  professionals.  Common  endive  is  a  salad  plant  much 
like  lettuce,  though  usually  with  a  narrow  and  crinkled  leaf.  For 
best  results,  as  it  is  bitter  when  green,  it  should  be  blanched.  It 
is  usually  best,  therefore,  in  the  fall,  when  the  blanching  plants,  be- 
ing hardy,  are  slower  to  rot  than  in  summer. 

Sow  the  seed  in  rows  six  inches  or  more  apart  in  August,  in  rich, 


PLANTING  LIST  337 

moist  soil.  Thin  or  transplant  to  at  least  six  inches  apart  each  way, 
and  when  the  plants  are  about  nine  inches  tall,  tie  them  with  string 
or  raffia,  to  keep  the  light  from  the  heart.  The  inner  leaves  pres- 
ently turn  white,  when  the  plant  should  be  cut  and  eaten.  It  is 
well,  therefore,  to  blanch  only  a  few  at  a  time,  tying  a  few  more  every 
week. 

Eschscholtzia,  see  California  Poppy. 

Ferns :  This  class  of  plants  is  for  the  most  part  easily  transplanted 
from  its  natural  places  to  cool  and  moist  and  shady  places  in  the 
garden.  "Take  with  each  as  much  earth  as  possible,  and  give  leaf- 
mold  to  grow  in. 

Flame-flower,  see  Phlox. 
Floss-flower :  see  Ageratum. 

Forget-me-not :  A  hardy  perennial  usually  grown  as  an  annual, 
which  when  once  started  seeds  itself  freely.  The  seedlings  can 
easily  be  transplanted  into  any  good  soil,  especially  if  it  is  some- 
what moist.  Or  the  parent  plants  may  be  covered  against  the 
winter.  The  plants  are  beautiful  for  edgings,  or  for  blooming  among 
clumps  of  other  plants,  and  are  attractive  in  the  house.  Sow 
the  seed  broadcast  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  fit,  and  thin  or  trans- 
plant to  about  six  inches  apart. 

Foxglove  (Digitalis) :  A  hardy  biennial  plant,  very  popular  in 
old-fashioned  gardens  on  account  of  its  oddly  shaped  brightly 
colored  flowers  thickly  borne  on  stems  about  two  feet  tall.  The 
plants  are  useful  in  masses,  as  a  background  to  smaller  plants, 
or  between  shrubs.  The  colors  are  numerous.  Soil  should  be  rich 
and  deep,  with  partial  shade.  Sow  the  seed  in  April  when  the 
ground  is  fit,  transplant  to  six  or  nine  inches  apart,  and  in  Septem- 
ber set  where  they  are  to  stand.  Or  sow  in  August  the  freshly  ripe 
seed,  nurse  the  young  plants  well,  and  set  them  in  September  as 
before.  Plants  should  stand  about  two  feet  apart.  They  blossom 
in  early  summer.  If  the  spikes  are  cut  off  as  their  blossoms  fade, 
the  remainder  will  grow  the  better.  Foxgloves  often  seed  them- 
selves, and  the  young  plants  may  be  transplanted, 
z 


338 


PLANTING   LIST 


Gaillardia,  or  Blanket-flower :  It  comes  chiefly  in  yellow  shades, 
the  centers  dark  brown.  It  is  hardy,  and  is  both  annual  and  peren- 
nial. The  showy  flowers,  borne  on  long  stems,  are  useful  in  masses 
in  the  garden,  or  as  cut  flowers ;  they  bloom  from  midsummer  till 
frost.  The  annuals  are  easily  grown.  Sow  under  glass  in  April 

and  set  out  in  late 
May;  or  since  the 
plants  are  hardy,  sow 
outdoors  in  late  April. 
Transplant  to  eighteen 
inches  apart .  Keep  the 
faded  flowers  picked. 
Treat  perennials  in 
much  the  same  way ; 
protect  in  winter. 

Gilliflower,  see  Stock. 

Gladiolus :  This 
should  not  be  grown 
from  seed,  but  from 
corms  which  are  cheap 
except  in  the  finest 
varieties.  The  flowers 
of  the  gladiolus  are 
handsome  and  even 
showy,  though  of  the 
most  delicate  shades, 
in  all  colors.  The  soil 
should  be  light  and  quick.  Set  the  corms  at  least  four  inches  deep, 
at  distances  six  inches  or  more  each  way.  Stake  the  plants  as 
they  grow.  If  the  flower  spikes  are  cut  when  the  lowest  blossoms 
open,  and  are  kept  in  fresh  water  with  their  stems  daily  cut,  the 
buds  will  open  one  by  one.  Take  up  the  corms  as  soon  as  their  tops 
are  killed  by  frost ;  take  up  also  the  little  ones  which  have  formed 
from  them.  Store  in  a  cool  dry  place.  The  young  corms  will 
flower  in  the  second  year  after  resetting. 


FIG.  186.  —  Gladioli  are  to  be  had  in  many 
colors. 


PLANTING  LIST  339 

Godetia,  or  Satin  Flower:  So  called  from  its  satiny  flowers  in 
delicate  shades  of  white  and  the  reds ;  it  is  useful  in  borders,  and 
for  filling  shady  places.  The  flowers  are  excellent  for  the  house; 
they  bloom  from  early  summer  till  frost.  Varieties  are  dwarf  and 
tall,  single  and  double,  and  are  best  all  treated  as  tender  an- 
nuals. Sow  under  glass  in  April,  outdoors  after  the  middle  of  May, 
and  thin  to  about  a  foot  apart  in  light  and  rather  poor  soil.  The 
plants  spring  again  from  self-sown  seed,  and  transplant  easily. 
Freshly  ripe  seed  sown  in  August  will  give  plants  that  may  be  carried 
through  a  favorable  winter  under  a  mulch  of  leaves,  and  will  blossom 
especially  early  next  year. 

Golden  Glow :  One  of  the  Rudbeckia  family,  a  tall  hardy  peren- 
nial which  is  very  useful  as  a  background  or  screen,  and  makes 
fine  handsome  clumps  of  yellow  flowers.  While  it  can  be  raised 
from  seed,  it  is  quickest  grown  from  root-divisions,  which  multiply 
very  rapidly,  so  that  in  a  few  years  a  single  root  will,  by  division, 
make  a  fine  show.  The  plants  grow  six  or  seven  feet  tall,  and  should 
be  set  three  feet  or  more  apart.  The  flowers  bloom  through  August. 
If  the  stalks  are  then  cut  to  the  ground,  a  new  crop  of  flowers,  borne 
on  short  stems,  will  appear  in  late  fall.  The  flowers  of  Golden 
Glow  keep  well  in  water. 

Gumbo,  see  Okra. 
Heartsease,  see  Pansy. 

Helenium :  A  plant  much  like  Golden  Glow,  but  with  smaller 
and  more  handsome  yellow  flowers,  and  following  it  in  season, 
the  plants  sometimes  lasting  to  the  chrysanthemum  time.  It  is 
best  grown  from  root-divisions,  which  will  rapidly  increase.  Set 
the  clumps  about  three  feet  apart.  The  stems  grow  to  about  six 
feet  in  height,  bearing  the  flowers  in  large  heads. 

Helianthus,  see  Sunflower. 

Heliotrope  :  A  plant  of  very  pleasing  scent,  and  good  for  bedding 
or  cut  flowers,  is  not  easily  grown  from  seed  except  in  the  green- 
house. It  can  be  grown  from  cuttings,  or  the  plants  may  be  bought. 
As  they  spread  rapidly  when  in  deep,  moist  soil,  they  should  be 


340 


PLANTING  LIST 


given  at  least  two  feet  of  space ;  in  lighter  soil  give  less.  They 
suffer  from  drought,  and  although  perennial,  will  seldom  live  through 
a  northern  winter. 

Herbs :  Plants  which  are  used  for  flavoring  purposes,  for  medi- 
cine, and  for  perfumes.  The  old-fashioned  herb-garden  was  a  part 
of  the  garden  set  apart  for  growing  a  few  plants,  or  a  short  row  or 
two,  of  fifty  or  more  different  kinds.  But  they  are  much  out  of  style. 
In  this  list  see  Balm,  Basil,  Borage,  Caraway,  Catnip,  Horehound, 

Lavender,  Marshmallow,  Mar- 
joram (Sweet),  Mint,  Sage,  and 
Thyme. 

Hollyhock :  One  of  the  finest 
garden  flowers,  a  plant  bearing 
many  large  blossoms,  opening 
one  after  another  on  stalks  often 
eight  feet  tall.  It  is  therefore 
used  as  backgrounds,  and  for  the 
filling  of  corners.  The  colors 
range  from  white  through  the 
reds  to  a  deep  purple  that  is 
almost  black;  the  flowers  are 
single  and  double.  The  holly- 
hock seldom  flowers  before  the  second  year,  and  seldom  bears  for 
more  than  two  years ;  but  young  plants  spring  up  readily  around 
the  old,  so  that  for  years  they  will  reproduce  themselves.  The 
finer  varieties,  however,  must  be  sown  every  two  years  from  fresh 
seed-packets,  unless  pains  are  taken  to  prevent  crossing. 

Seed  may  be  sown  in  spring  or  early  summer;  or  in  August 
from  fresh  seed  that  is  thoroughly  ripe  and  dry.  The  young  plants 
should  be  given  nearly  a  foot  of  space ;  when  they  are  transplanted 
to  their  final  places  they  should  have  about  two  feet.  This  trans- 
planting should  be  in  late  September,  and  the  plants  may  be  lightly 
mulched  for  the  winter. 

The  worst  enemy  of  the  hollyhock  is  the  rust,  which  when  once 
started  seriously  injures  the  plant.  In  regions  where  it  appears, 


FIG.   187.  —  HOLLYHOCK  RUST. 
Spray  for  it  early. 


PLANTING  LIST  341 

spray  with  Bordeaux  or  ammoniacal  copper  carbonate,  beginning 
in  May,  every  two  or  three  weeks  until  the  flowers  appear,  taking 
pains  to  wet  the  under  sides  of  the  leaves  as  well  as  the  upper.  The 
plants  blossom  through  midsummer. 

Horehound:  A  hardy  perennial  herb,  its  leaves  used  in  cough 
medicines.  Grow  from  seed,  cuttings,  or  root  divisions.  Set  two 
feet  by  one. 

Ipomoea :  This  includes  three  different  kinds  of  plants,  morning- 
glory,  moonflower,  and  cypress  vine,*  all  described  in  the  chapter 
on  Vines.  - 

Iris :  This  comprises  several  kinds  of  plants,  some  of  which  are 
among  the  most  beautiful  and  satisfactory  perennials  in  the  whole 
garden,  being  lovely  in  form,  delicate  in  color,  and  very  easy  to  grow. 
They  cannot,  however,  be  grown  satisfactorily  from  seed;  root 
divisions  are  needed.  Among  the  several  kinds  the  chief  two  are  : 

German  Iris :  A  plant  with  a  gnarled  fleshy  root,  -preferring  a 
fairly  dry  situation.  Its  leaves  are  like  stiff  sword  blades,  the 
flower  stems  are  stout  and  strong,  bearing  several  buds  which  open 
one  after  another.  The  flowers  are  exceedingly  delicate,  and  tear 
easily;  they  last,  however,  well  in  water.  The  varieties  are  ac- 
cording to  the  color  and  marking,  which  are  almost  as  delicate  and 
numerous  as  those  of  the  gladiolus.  The  season  lasts  over  a  fort- 
night, with  its  middle  about  June  1st ;  and  by  a  careful  choice  of 
varieties  (consult  the  seedsman)  it  may  be  prolonged. 

Japanese  Iris  :  Follows  German  Iris  in  season.  The  root  is  more 
fibrous,  and  prefers  a  moist  situation;  the  leaves  are  not  so  stiff, 
being  more  grass-like ;  the  flower  stems  are  not  so  sturdy,  and  more 
gracefully  bear  larger  and  more  lovely  blossoms,  flatter  in  shape 
and  deeper  and  purer  in  tone,  seeming  to  hover  like  great  butter- 
flies. Colors,  with  many  markings,  range  through  white,  lavender, 
and  blue,  to  purple. 

These  Irises  are  very  hardy,  and  the  clumps  increase  in  size, 
from  year  to  year,  so  that  every  three  or  four  years  they  should  be 
divided.  Give  them  about  two  feet  of  space. 

Kale :   A  plant  of  the  cabbage  family,  which  bears  loose  leaves, 


342 


PLANTING  LIST 


tall  or  dwarf,  plain  or  crinkled,  according  to  variety.  It  is  usually 
either  grown  as  a  fall  crop,  or  is  carried  through  the  winter  to  give 
early  spring  greens.  Sow  in  early  June  in  moist  rich  soil,  the  rows 
eighteen  inches  apart,  the  plants  a  foot  or  more  apart  in  the  row. 

Or  sow  in  late  August, 
and  winter  the  plants 
under  a  light  mulch,  or 
even  none  at  all. 

Kochia,  or  Belvidere,  or 
Summer  Cypress :  An 
annual  plant  bearing  close 
green  foliage,  and  shaped 
like  a  small  cypress  tree. 
The  plants  grow  about 
two  feet  tall,  and  readily 
make  a  close  thick  hedge 
for  a  border  or  edging. 
In  the  fall  the  foliage 
turns  to  a  beautiful  red; 
but  the  plants  are  soon 
killed  by  frost.  They  seed 
themselves  readily,  how- 
ever, and  many  little 
plants  will  come  up  the 
second  year.  Sow  the 
seed  in  May,  and  thin  or  transplant  to  eighteen  inches  or  more 
apart. 

Kohlrabi :  A  plant  of  the  cabbage  family,  which  grows  a  turnip- 
shaped  vegetable  just  above  the  ground.  Varieties  are  green  and 
red,  variously  shaped.  They  are  readily  grown  in  rows  a  foot  apart 
or  more,  the  plants  six  inches  apart  in  the  rows.  Sow  in  early 
spring,  with  succession  every  fortnight  until  August,  if  wanted. 
Kohlrabi  must  be  picked  when  young;  otherwise  they  quickly  become 
stringy.  In  rich  moist  ground  they  do  well,  and  are  worth  growing. 
Larkspur :  A  fine  hardy  flowering  plant,  bearing  flowers  in  long 


FIG.  188.  —  Kohlrabi  should  be  picked 
young. 


PLANTING  LIST  343 

spikes.  Colors  are  white  and  chiefly  blue ;  avoid  the  purple.  The 
soil  for  larkspurs  should  be  cool  and  deep. 

Annual  larkspurs  should  be  sown  in  early  spring,  under  glass 
in  March  or  April,  outdoors  about  May  1st.  They  should  be  trans- 
planted to  stand  from  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  apart.  They  are 
very  delicate  and  airy  when  in  bloom. 

Perennial  larkspurs  are  larger  and  more  robust,  living  sometimes 
ten  years,  and  often  sending  up  several  stalks,  five  feet  tall,  from 
each  plant.  They  may  be  sowed  like  the  annuals,  but  probably 
will  succeed  best  from  freshly  ripe  seed  sowed  in  August.  Thin  the 
plants  to  three  inches,  and  in  late  September  set  out  two  feet  apart 
or  more.  They  will  flower  in  June,  and  if  the  stalks  are  cut  to  the 
ground  will  bear  a  second  crop  in  late  fall.  The  pale  blue  and  pure 
blue  of  perennial  larkspurs  can  scarcely  be  surpassed,  and  the  per- 
ennial garden  can  hardly  do  without  them. 

Larkspur  roots  can  be  divided  if  necessary.  They  should  be  set 
close  to  the  surface,  lest  they  rot.  Or  finely  sifted  coal  ashes  may 
be  scattered  over  them. 

Rust  sometimes  troubles  larkspurs,  and  cannot  be  cured.  Pre- 
vent it  by  spraying  with  Bordeaux  in  May  and  June,  fortnightly 
until  the  time  of  flowering,  and  again  after  cutting  back  the  stalks. 

Lavender :  True  and  Common  Lavender  are  different  shrubs, 
grown  in  the  same  way.  Raise  them  in  spring  from  cuttings  of  last 
year's,  wood,  taken  with  a  heel  of  still  older  wood.  Set  in  moist, 
shady  soil,  until  rooted,  and  in  fall  set  out,  four  feet  by  two.  Use 
the  flower  buds  for  perfume  after  the  first  year.  During  the  first 
year,  pinch  off  all  flower  spikes. 

Leek :  One  of  the  onion  family ;  it  is  grown  with  much  care  by 
those  who  like  it.  Sow  seed  in  early  spring,  in  rows  sixs inches  apart ; 
thin  to  three  inches  in  the  rows.  In  May  set  in  the  garden,  six  by 
twelve  inches,  or  less;  feed  the  plants  well.  The  soil  should  be 
moist.  Leek  is  often  blanched  by  being  set  in  trenches  or  holes, 
and  earthing  up,  after  midsummer,  to  the  depth  of  several  inches. 

Lettuce :  One  of  the  most  widely  grown  of  salad  plants.  It  is 
hardy,  and  has  many  varieties,  which  classify  as  loose  or  close  head- 


344 


PLANTING  LIST 


ing,  plain  or  crimped  leaved,  and  green  or  russet.  The  Cos  lettuce, 
or  Romaine,  is  coarser  leaved,  growing  in  a  tight  upright  head,  and 
is  grown  chiefly  in  summer.  The  other  lettuces  may  be  grown, 
according  to  variety,  in  the  cool  weather  of  spring  or  fall,  or  in  sum- 


FIG.  189.  —  Various  kinds  of  lettuce. 

mer.  Consult  your  seedsman  as  to  which  to  buy  for  your  locality. 
Plant  the  earlier  varieties  in  successive  intervals  of  ten  days  or  two 
weeks  until  late  May ;  then  begin  planting  the  summer  kinds.  In 
August  begin  again  with  the  cold-weather  varieties.  Set  frames 
over  them  when  frosts  begin,  and  carry  them  to  December.  To 
grow  good  head  lettuce  is  not  easy,  for  it  requires  rich  soil  and  care- 


PLANTING  LIST  345 

ful  handling ;  but  any  one  can  grow  the  loose  heading  lettuces  fairly 
well. 

Sow  first  under  glass  in  March,  in  rows  three  inches  apart,  and 
sow  again  every  ten  days  in  the  frames.  Thin  to  an  inch  apart  in 
the  rows,  and  after  %the  fourth  leaf  transplant  to  six  inches  apart. 
When  the  plants  crowd  take  out  and  use  every  other  plant,  allowing 
the  remainder  to  grow  to  full  size.  Sow  outdoors,  best  in  a  carefully 
prepared  seed  bed,  in  April,  and  treat  in  much  the  same  manner. 
Or  sow  in  rows  about  nine  inches  apart,  thin  lightly  at  first,  and  as 
the  plants  grow,  thin  gradually  to  six  inches,  eating  the  thinnings. 
This  is  the  lazy  way  to  grow  lettuce,  and  the  remaining  plants  will 
never  be  so  good  as  those  which  have  never  been  crowded. 

If  Cos  lettuce  does  not  naturally  head  well,  the  plants  may  be 
tied  with  string  or  raffia  until  their  hearts  are  well  blanched. 

Lettuce  has  no  diseases,  and  no  serious  enemy  except  the  cut- 
worm. Against  him,  when  transplanting,  provide  the  plants  with 
paper  collars. 

Lilies  :  They  are  not  of  easy  culture,  and  their  bulbs  are  often  ex- 
pensive. They  like  warm,  rich,  and  well-drained  soil ;  it  is  well  to 
mulch  them  to  protect  the  roots  from  drying  out.  The  soils  should 
be  at  least  a  foot  deep,  and  the  bulbs  be  covered  at  least  three 
times  their  own  thickness ;  the  golden-banded  lily  should  be  planted 
ten  inches  or  more  deep.  No  fresh  manure  should  be  used  in  the 
soil,  and  it  is  well  to  set  each  bulb  in  a  pocket  of  sand,  to  keep  it 
from  rotting.  Lilium  candidum,  the  Madonna  lily,  should  be  set 
in  late  summer ;  the  others  may  be  set  in  early  October,  or  in  spring. 
The  tiger  lily  can  be  grown  in  any  garden,  coming  up  year  after  year. 
Consult  the  seedsman  for  other  lilies  for  your  neighborhood.  Get 
none  but  plump  and  firm  bulbs ;  all  others  are  weak.  Every  three 
or  four  years  reset  lilies,  dividing  the  clumps  of  bulbs,  and  setting 
the  little  ones  out  where  they  will  have  a  chance  to  grow  large. 
See  also  Chapter  XXVIII. 

Lily-of-the-valley :  A  fine,  modest,  perennial  plant,  always  popu- 
lar, which  in  a  good  soil  and  partial  shade  will  multiply  rapidly. 
Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  giving  no  sun  at  all.  The  pips  must  be 


346 


PLANTING  LIST 


bought ;  set  them  in  clumps  of  three  or  four  about  nine  inches  apart. 
They  will  increase  rapidly.  Each  spring  dress  with  some  good 
root  dressing,  and  do  the  same  after  the  flowers  are  all  picked.  The 
plant  has  no  pests  or  diseases.  In  October  clumps  may  be  lifted 
and  set  in  bulb  pans ;  after  resting  them  for  a  month,  bring  them  into 

the  house,  where  they  will  give  excellent 

flowers. 

Lobelia :  There  are  two  classes  of  these 
plants.  The  first  consists  of  the  Erinus 
varieties,  tender  annuals,  mostly  bearing 
blue  flowers,  the  plants  not  more  than 
six  inches  tall,  and  excellent  for  edgings. 
The  florist  grows  them  readily  from  cut- 
tings, to  make  sure  of  the  color  of  his 
flowers,  and  their  earliness  (May) ;  but 
the  gardener  will  be  satisfied  to  grow 
them  from  seed.  Sow  them  under  glass 
in  April,  outdoors  in  late  May.  Set  out 
or  thin  to  six  inches  apart.  They  like 
moist  ground,  and  if  well  tended  will 
flower  till  frost. 

The  best  perennial  Lobelia  is  the 
cardinal  flower,  a  plant  growing  two  feet 
or  more  in  height,  sending  up  spikes  of 
flaming  flowers,  very  handsome  in  mid- 
summer. It  grows  wild  in  damp  places, 
and  can  be  transplanted ;  or  it  may  be 

grown  from  seed  sown  in  April,  or  when  freshly  ripe  in  late  summer. 

Set  the  plants  eighteen  inches  or  more  apart  in  moist  deep  soil. 

Other  perennial  Lobelias  are  not  so  satisfactory ;  one,  which  is  often 

eight  feet  tall,  is  tender. 

London  Pride,  see  Lychnis. 

Lupine :  A  free-flowering  hardy  plant,  with  annual  and  perennial 
varieties,  dwarf  and  tall,  and  bearing  their  blue  or  white  (some- 
times rose  or  yellow)  flowers  closely  set  on  long  stalks.  They  are 


FIG.   190.  —  LILY-OF- 

THE-VALLEY  PlP. 

Cover  it  an  inch. 


PLANTING   LIST  347 

easily  grown  in  any  good  soil,  except  that  they  do  not  like  lime  and 
do  like  sun.  They  transplant  poorly,  and  should  be  sowed  where 
they  are  to  stand.  The  dwarf  varieties  are  fine  for  massing,  and  all 
of  the  flowers  are  attractive  in  the  house.  Sow  the  annual  varieties 
as  soon  as  the  ground  is  fit,  the  perennials  either  then  or  from 
freshly  ripe  seed  in  late  summer.  The  plants  blossom  in  early 
summer.  Perennial  plants  can  also  be  grown  from  divisions  of  the 
roots.  Distances  should  be  according  to  the  size  of  the  variety, 
one  foot  or  more  apart. 

Lychnis,  or  London  Pride,  sometimes  called  Alpine  Lamp-flower, 
also  Mullein  Pink,  Maltese  Cross,  and  Ragged  Robin,  with  still 
other  names,  according  to  the  variety :  A  popular  white,  crimson, 
or  scarlet  flower  of  our  grandmothers,  found  in  annual,  biennial, 
and  perennial  forms.  It  is  easily  grown  in  masses  in  a  sunny 
place,  and  flowers  mostly  in  early  summer.  Sow  freely  where  the 
plants  are  to  stand,  in  May,  and  thin  to  a  foot  apart.  Some  of  the 
varieties  are  tender,  but  most  of  the  perennials  will  live  through 
our  winters.  Give  some  protection. 

Marigold  (for  Pot  Marigold  see  Calendula) :  A  fine  plant  which 
every  one  should  grow,  valuable  for  yellow  flowers  easily  grown, 
hardy,  and  lasting  into  frosts.  There  are  two  kinds  of  Marigold 
offered  by  seedsmen. 

Dwarf  or  French  Marigolds  stand  about  a  foot  tall,  bushy,  and 
bearing  flowers  from  early  summer  until  after  early  frosts.  They 
are  easily  grown  by  sowing  under  glass  in  March  or  April,  or 
outdoors  when  the  ground  is  fit.  If  they  are  started  in  flats, 
and  potted,  they  will  make  bushier  plants,  and  will  flower  earlier. 
They  should  be  set  about  a  foot  apart,  in  masses,  and  are  very 
showy. 

Tall  or  African  Marigolds  are  not  so  bushy,  but  look  well  in  the 
border,  or  along  the  edges  of  the  shrubbery.  They  may  be  treated 
in  much  the  same  way,  and  may  be  used  for  cutting,  although  to 
some  their  odor  is  objectionable.  Set  them  about  eighteen  inches 
apart. 

Marjoram,  Sweet :  An  herb,  its  leaves  used  for  seasoning.     Grow 


348  PLANTING  LIST 

as  a  half  hardy  annual,  sowing  after  May  first.    Set  out  twelve 
inches  apart. 

Marrow :  see  Squash. 

Marshmallow :  An  herb,  its  roots  used  in  candy  making.  It 
is  hardy.  Sow  seed  in  spring,  or  get  root  divisions.  Set  two  feet 
by  one. 

Mignonette :  Almost  a  necessary  plant  in  any  garden,  loved  for 
the  odor  of  its  flower-spikes.  These  grow  from  twelve  to  eighteen 
inches  tall,  and  the  best  varieties  bear  far  finer  spikes  than  the 
older  sorts.  The  plant  is  hardy.  Sow  out  of  doors  in  early  May, 
and  again  every  three  weeks.  On  rich  soil  mignonette  is  not  so 
fragrant  as  on  sandy  soil ;  it  prefers  a  little  shade.  Good  culture, 
and  cutting  of  the  stalks  before  the  seeds  form,  should  provide  for 
the  house  a  plentiful  supply  of  flowers.  The  plants  should  stand 
nine  inches  or  more  apart. 

Mint,  or  Spearmint :  It  is  seldom  grown  from  seed,  as  it  is  so  easily 
grown  from  a  root  begged  from  a  neighbor.  It  is  a  hardy  perennial, 
valued  for  the  flavor  of  its  leaves ;  once  established  in  rich  moist 
soil  it  spreads  so  fast  as  almost  to  become  a  nuisance.  It  is  there- 
fore well  to  inclose  it  in  a  frame  of  boards  sunk  at  least  a  foot.  On 
sandy  soils  it  is  not  so  troublesome.  Sow  the  seed  in  early  spring, 
and  thin  the  plants  to  six  inches  apart.  Or  set  root  divisions  at 
least  a  foot  apart.  The  plant,  except  in  poor  soils,  requires  little 
feeding  and  no  protection. 

Moon-flower,  see  Ipomcea. 
Morning-glory,  see  Ipomcea. 
Mourning-bride,  see  Scabiosa. 

Muskmelon:  A  vegetable  delicacy,  needing  warm,  rich  soil, 
full  sun,  and  moisture,  for  full  success.  The  best  soil  is  light  and 
sandy,  enriched  with  well-rotted  manure.  Change  the  location 
of  the  melon  patch  every  three  or  four  years.  In  windy  places,  or 
on  cold  soil,  melons  do  poorly.  The  season  ought  to  be  lengthened 
by  starting  under  glass ;  or  at  least,  if  sown  in  the  garden,  melons 
should  have  cheesecloth  protection  except  south  of  New  York. 


PLANTING  LIST 


349 


Sow  the  seed  as  early  as  possible,  in  strawberry  boxes,  or  inverted 
sods,  and  treat  carefully,  not  allowing  the  plants  to  grow  too  soft. 
Set  out  (or  sow  in  the  garden)  in  hills  four  feet  apart,  which  have 
been  made  rich  with  compost  or  very  well-rotte4  manure.  Three 
plants  to  the  hill.  If  the  plants  grow  too  long  without  blossoming, 
pinch  off  the  ends  of 'the  vines.  Do  not  let  the  plants  set  too  many 
fruit,  but  be  satisfied  with  one,  or  at  most  two,  to  a  branch.  In 


FIG.  191.  —  Muskmelons  of  different  sorts. 

buying  seed,  ask  the  seedsman  what  is  best  for  your  neighborhood 
and  your  soil.  Varieties  are  many,  but  get  good  seed. 

Pests  and  diseases  are  much  the  same  as  those  affecting  cucum- 
ber. See  under  Cucumber.  Spray  regularly  with  Bordeaux,  to 
protect  from  rust. 

Nasturtium :  One  of  the  brightest  of  all  garden  flowers,  tender, 
easily  grown,  and  yielding  large  pickings  from  summer  until  frost. 
The  varieties  are  chiefly  yellows  and  reds  in  many  shades;  best 
effects  come  from  buying  definite  colors  rather  than  the  mixed 
seeds.  There  are  two  main  kinds  :  dwarfs,  used  for  massing,  and 
climbing  kinds,  good  for  low  screens  or  covering  stone  walls,  to 
which  they  can  be  led  by  means  of  strings.  For  the  best  bloom  the 
soil  should  not  be  very  rich,  for  if  it  is,  the  plants  will  run  to  leaves. 


350 


PLANTING  LIST 


The  seed  is  large  and  tough,  and  should  be  soaked  before  planting. 
As  the  plants  are  very  tender,  if  early  bloom  is  wanted  they  should 
lie  started  under  glass  in  April,  and  will  do  best  in  pots.  Outdoors 
sow  in  May  where  the  plants  are  to  stand ;  thin  the  dwarfs  to  about 
a  foot0  the  climbers  to  but  little  more,  unless  they  are  to  be  allowed 
to  spread  on  t'he  ground ;  then,  give  more  room.  Keep  the  faded 
blossoms  picked,  or  the  plants  will  make  seed  and  stop  blooming. 

Nicotiana,  or  Night-blooming  Tobacco :  A  plant  bearing  hand- 
some and  fragrant  flowers  which  open  at  sunset,  or  on  dull  days. 

It  is  tender  or  half 
hardy,  and  for 
,  early  bloom  should 
be  sowed  under 
glass  in  April. 
Sow  outdoors  in 
late  May.  The| 
seed  are  small] 
and  need  to  be 
sowed  very  shallow 
in  moist  soil,  but 
the  plants  prefer 
a  warm,  deep  soil 
in  a  sunny  expo- 
sure. When  the 
plants  have  fin- 
ished blooming,  cut  the  flower  stalks  just  below  the  lowest  blossom, 
and  they  will  bloom  again. 

Okra,  or  Gumbo :  A  vegetable  popular  in  the  south,  and  easily 
grown,  especially  in  its  dwarf  varieties,  in  the  north.  It  is  grown 
for  its  seed-pods,  which  should  be  picked  when  young,  before  they 
become  tough.  When  boiled,  the  pods  are  gummy;  they  can  be 
served  hot  as  a  vegetable,  or  cold  with  salad,  or  used  in  soup.  They 
are  easily  canned. 

Sow  the  dwarfs  in  rows  eighteen  inches  or  more  apart,  the  tall 
varieties  two  feet.  Thin  to  six  inches  or  more  apart.  The  pods 


FIG.  192.  —  Onions  need  rich  and  moist  soil. 


PLANTING  LIST  351 

begin  to  form  immediately  after  the  fall  of  the  handsome  flowers, 
and  are  ready  to  be  cut  in  a  couple  of  days.  Test  them  for  tough- 
ness by  cutting  across  with  a  dull  knife.  The  plant  is  very  tender ; 
do  not  sow  before  the  end  of  May. 

Onion :  A  very  hardy  vegetable,  easily  grown  on  rich  moist  land. 
Kinds  are  white,  yellow,  and  red,  flat  and  round ;  they  are  grown 
from  seeds,  or  from  sets,  which  are  small  onions  started  in  a  crowded 
seed  bed  the  previous  year,  and  which  when  set  out  begin  to  grow 
and  produce  an  early  crop.  Set  them  three  by  six  inches  or  more. 
For  very  finest  onions,  start  the  seed  under  glass  in  early  April, 
keep  growing  fast,  and  protect  with  cheesecloth  from  the  maggot ; 
thin  to  three  inches  apart.  Set  them  in  deep  moist  ground  in  late 
May,  and  occasionally  feed  with  nitrate  of  soda.  Otherwise  sow  the 
seed  out  of  doors  in  April,  thin  to  nine  by  three  inches,  or  more  space 
if  possible,  and  cultivate  carefully. 

The  worst  pest  is  the  maggot ;  burn  all  weakly  plants.  Watch 
for  cutworms. 

Three  crops  may  be  had  by  growing  in  succession,  first  the 
sets,  then  the  seed  under  glass,  then  the  seed  outdoors.  Pick  the 
plants  as  wanted ;  in  fall  break  down  the  tops  as  frosts  approach, 
and  in  a  few  days  pull  all  the  plants.  Cut  the  tops  and  roots,  and 
store  in  boxes  in  a  cool  dry  place. 

Ostrich-feather,  see  Cockscomb. 
Oyster  Plant,  see  Salsify. 
Paeony,  see  Peony. 

Pansy,  or  Heartsease :  A  fine  hardy  flower  of  great  popularity, 
which  every  one  would  grow  if  it  did  not  require  a  part  of  two  seasons, 
and  a  little  more  care  than  usual.  But  it  is  worth  the  trouble. 
Varieties  are  many.  Get  the  best  seed. 

Seed  sowed  in  April  will  sometimes  yield  fall  flowers,  but  this 
is  uncertain.  It  is  best  to  sow  the  seed  some  time  during  the 
summer,  not  later  than  August,  and  to  thin  the  plants  to  four 
inches  or  more  apart.  Carry  them  over  winter  in  a  cold-frame  or 
under  a  mulch,  and  set  them  out  when  the  ground  is  fit.  They  will 


352 


PLANTING  LIST 


bloom  from  May  through  the  summer  if  the  faded  flowers  are  kept 
picked ;   but  in  dry  weather  the  blossoms  will  be  small.     The  soil 


FIG.  193.  —  For  best  pansies,  get  good  seed. 

should  be  warm  and  deep.     Set  the  plants  six  inches  or  more  apart. 
Pansies  can  be  cheaply  bought  in  baskets  in  the  spring. 
Painted-tongue,  see  Salpiglossis. 


PLANTING   LIST 


353 


Parsley :  A  vegetable  used  for  garnishing  meats,  or  to  put  in 
salads.  It  comes  in  several  varieties,  some  very  handsomely  curled. 
It  is  very  hardy.  Sow  in  March  or  April  under  glass,  or  outdoors 
as  soon  as  the  ground  is  fit ;  the  seeds  sprout  very  slowly  indeed, 
and  may  take  twenty  days  and  more.  When  the  plants  are  well 
up,  transplant  them  to  eighteen  inches  apart  if  possible,  and  feed 
occasionally  with  nitrate.  A  few  plants  will  do  for  a  large  family. 

Parsnip :  A  very  hardy  vegetable  yielding  a  large  straight  root 
which  can  be  left  over  winter  in  the  ground.  Sow  in  rows  twelve 
inches  apart  in 
early  spring,  and 
thin  to  six  inches 
apart.  Eighteen 
by  nine  inches  is 
better.  Give  good 
culture  all  sum- 
mer, and  in  the 
fall  dig  the  plants 
as  wanted.  Those 
which  are  left  in 
the  ground  over 
winter  are  said  to 
be  better  for  the 
freezing. 

Peas :  These  are 

among  our  finest  vegetables,  and  are  easily  grown  in  moist 
deep  soil  which  is  not  too  rich.  Their  kinds  are  dwarf  (which 
require  no  support)  and  tall  (which  must  be  given  something 
to  climb  on).  Round-seeded  peas  are  extremely  hardy  and  early, 
but  are  not  so  delicate  to  the  taste  as  the  wrinkled-seeded.  Their 
real  use  is  to  give  a  crop  before  the  others  are  ready ;  they  should 
be  picked  while  very  young.  Sugar  peas  are  picked  when  young, 
and  eaten  pods  and  all,  like  string  beans.  The  pods  are  still 
stringy,  but  in  future  we  may  expect  much  from  this  vegetable,  if 
the  breeders  will  but  develop  it  as  they  have  developed  other  peas. 

2A 


FIG.  194.  —  Curled  parsley. 


354 


PLANTING  LIST 


FIG.  195.  —  Large  pods  and  full. 

inches.  As  the  plants  grow,  fill  in 
tion  until  the 
ground  is  level. 
With  such  deep 
roots  the  plants 
should  not  lack 
moisture.  If  they 
do,  mildew  will 
result,  against 
which  there  is 
very  little  help. 
On  rich  soil  the 
plants  will  mostly 
make  leaves  and 
stalks,  and  will 
give  few  peas. 
If  peas  are  sown 


Peas  suffer  from  lack  of 
moisture,  and  their  whole 
culture  is  based  on  this  fact. 
The  round-seeded  peas  should 
be  sowed  first ;  south  of  New 
York  they  may  even  be  sowed 
in  the  fall  (November)  for 
spring  sprouting .  After  them 
in  spring  the  wrinkled  sorts 
are  sown,  the  dwarfs  first, 
and  taller  kinds  next,  at  in- 
tervals of  about  a  week,  until 
early  June.  Begin  again  in 
August  to  sow  the  dwarfs  for 
a  fall  crop.  In  order  that 
they  may  not  suffer  from 
drought,  peas  should  be  sown 
in  trenches,  six  inches  deep ; 
cover  them  for  a  couple  of 
the  trenches  with  each  cultiva- 


FIG.  196.  —  Dwarf  peas  need  no  support. 


PLANTING  LIST 


355 


in  double  rows,  about  six  inches  apart,  space  is  saved.  The  dwarfs 
thus  help  to  support  each  other.  But  for  the  taller  sorts  some 
support  must  be  provided  in  the  space  between  the  pairs  of  rows ; 
use  brush,  or  chicken  wire  held  up  on  posts,  or  some  kind  of  trellis 
made  of  sticks  and  string.  A  good  kind  may  be  made  of  laths, 
set  crossing  each  other,  with  a  couple  of  lines  of  string  to  hold 
them  in  place. 

Peony :  One  of  the  finest  garden  perennials,  beautiful  in  the  shape 
and  color  of  the  large  blossoms.     The  plant  is  free-bearing,  growing 
larger  from  year  to 
year,  and  very  easy 
to  grow.     It  cannot, 
however,  with   any 
satisfaction  be 

grown  from  seed. 
Gardeners  should 
buy  roots,  the  bigger 
the  more  expensive, 
but  also  the  more 
satisfactory.  There 
are  many  varieties, 
single  as  well  as  FIG.  197.  — Large  fruits  of  pepper, 

double,  and  ranging 

from  white  through  pink  to  the  old-fashioned  red.  Some  varieties  are 
scented.  A  careful  choice  of  varieties  (consult  your  seedsman)  will 
prolong  the  season  by  several  days.  The  blossoms  begin  in  late  May. 

Culture  of  peonies  is  absolutely  simple.  The  ground  should  be 
made  as  rich  and  as  deep  as  possible ;  for  each  plant  (standing  thirty 
inches  or  more  apart)  it  is  well  to  prepare  the  ground  as  for  a  shrub 
or  tree,  to  two  feet  of  depth  if  possible,  and  with  manure  or  compost 
mixed  in  with  the  earth.  Plants  may  be  set  in  August  (use  great 
care),  in  late  September,  or  in  earliest  spring.  Set  the  roots  a  few 
inches  underground,  and  do  not  let  them  dry  out.  There  will  prob- 
ably be  no  bloom  until  the  second  year,  and  the  plants  will  not 
do  their  best  until  the  third.  But  after  that  they  will  improve 


356 


PLANTING  LIST 


yearly  in  the  size  of  the  plant  and  the  number  of  blossoms.  The 
flowers  are  most  attractive  in  the  house,  often  as  delicate  in  color 
as  the  rose,  but  larger  and  lasting  better. 

The  peony  has  practically  no  enemy  but  the  rose-bug,  which 
should  be  picked  by  hand. 

Pepper:   Tender  vegetables,  yielding  two  kinds  of  fruits,  the 

small  hot  pepper,  used  in 
pickling,  and  the  larger  and 
mild  or  even  sweet  pepper, 
used  in  cooking  and  in  salads. 
When  ripe,  the  fruit  is  red ; 
green  peppers  are  the  large, 
unripe  fruits. 

For  best  results  sow  in  a 
frame  in  March  or  April,  and 
transplant  or  thin  to  three 
inches  apart.  But  they  are 
best  raised  in  pots,  since  they 
thus  suffer  less  when  put  in 
the  garden.  Peppers  may  be 
sowed  out  of  doors  in  late 
May,  but  north  of  New  York 
they  will  not  fruit  well  except 
with  the  best  of  soil  and  care. 
Soil  should  be  warm  and 


FIG.  198.  —  Start  pepper  plants  early, 
under  glass. 


quick ;  cultivation  should 
be  frequent.  Distances  in 
the  garden  should  be  at  least 
a  foot ;  large  varieties  should  have  twice  as  much  space.  Pot-grown 
pepper  plants  are  sold  by  many  seedsmen  in  spring. 

The  pepper  has  about  the  same  enemies  as  the  potato;  use 
Bordeaux  and  poison  against  the  beetle  and  the  flea-beetle.  Dis- 
eases are  few. 

Peppergrass,  see  Cress. 

Petunia :  An  old  garden  favorite  which  is  not  hard  to  grow,  and 


PLANTING  LIST 


357 


whose  recent  varieties,  in  white,  the  reds,  and  purple,  are  very 
beautiful,  though  very  expensive.  The  plant  grows  about  eighteen 
inches  high,  and  is  excellent,  with  its  handsome  flowers  borne  all 
through  the  summer,  for  beds  and  borders,  and  for  the  house.  The 
petunia  likes  rich  soil,  but  endures  drought  well;  it  is  tender  to 
frost.  Varieties  > 
are  single  and 
double,  plain  and 
ruffled.  The  seed 
is  very  small,  and 
should  be  simply 
pressed  into  the 
ground,  and  then 
kept  moist.  Sow 
under  glass  in  early 
April,  outdoors 
after  the  middle 
of  May.  Trans- 
plant to  a  foot  or 
more  apart. 

The  new  and 
expensive  kinds 
are  not  yet  fixed, 
and  may  not  al- 
ways bear  double 
flowers.  To  get  a 
good  show  of  them, 
take  out  all  that 
bear  single  flowers,  FlG-  199>  _  Phlox  comes  in  many  varieties. 

setting  them  else- 
where ;    and  take  cuttings  as  soon  as  possible  from  the  plants  that 
bear  double  flowers. 


Phlox.     This  comes  in  three  important  forms. 
Drummond  Phlox,  sometimes  called  Flame  Flower:   A  hardy, 
annual,  low-growing  plant,  one  of  the  best  for  edgings  and  low 


358 


PLANTING  LIST 


masses  on  account  of  its  close  growth  and  many  brilliant  flowers. 
It  has  all  colors  but  blue;  the  magenta  shades  alone  are  un- 
pleasing,  and  are  easily  weeded  out.  It  is  best  to  buy  the  named 
varieties  only.  The  plants  vary  from  six  inches  or  more  to  a 
foot,  and  seedsmen  distinguish  between  various  groups  which  are 
not  very  important. 

Sow  under  glass  in  early  April,  outdoors  a  month  later.     A  third 

sowing  may  be  made  in 
late  May.  The  plants 
should  stand  nine  to 
twelve  inches  apart,  ac- 
cording to  the  variety. 
Bloom  will  commence  in 
July,  sometimes  earlier  if 
raised  under  glass,  and 
will  last  into  frosts. 

Perennial  Phlox  (Phlox 
decussata) :  A  most  depend- 
able garden  plant,  yield- 
ing probably  two  crops  of 
large  flower  heads,  on 
stalks  often  two  feet  tall. 
The  colors  are  white,  pink, 
and  the  reds;  they  are 
clear  and  striking.  The 
plants  may  be  raised  from 
seed,  which  is  best  sown 
when  freshly  ripe,  in  Au- 
gust. They  may  be 
grown  from  cuttings  also.  The  commonest  method  is  by  root- 
division.  Set  the  plants  eighteen  inches  apart ;  they  increase 
rapidly.  The  first  crop  of  flowers  comes  in  July.  If  the  flower 
heads  are  then  broken  off,  new  heads  will  blossom  in  late  fall.  The 
plant  should  be  watered  when  in  flower.  Fertilize  or  manure  an- 
nually in  spring.  When  the  clumps  get  very  large,  divide  and  reset. 
Creeping  Phlox  (Phlox  subulata),  sometimes  called  Moss  Pink, 


FIG.  200.  —  Plant  fine  phloxes  separately  to 
prevent  crossing. 


PLANTING  LIST 


359 


or  Mountain  Pink :  A  very  low-growing,  spreading  plant,  bearing 
white  flowers  in  May.  It  is  useful  in  the  rock  garden,  and,  like  the 
other  phloxes,  likes  moist  soil. 

Pie-plant,  see  Rhubarb. 

Pinks  :  These  are  both  annuals  and  perennials ;  for  the  biennial 
form,  see  Sweet  William.  All  are  very  easy  to  grow  from  seed, 
though  the  very  double 
forms,  not  commonly  grown 
in  gardens,  are  best  raised 
from  cuttings.  Pinks  vary 
considerably  in  size,  and 
even  in  color ;  some  of  them 
are  most  deliciously  scented. 
All  of  them  like  rich  and 
well-drained  soil,  and  are 
hardy. 

The  annual  pinks  (they 
are  really  hardy  biennials 
treated  as  annuals)  fall  into 
the  classes  of  China  Pinks, 
Heddewigii  (Japanese), 
Double  Imperial,  and  Car- 
nation (best  grown  in  the 
Marguerite  varieties).  Ac- 
cording to  variety  they  are 
single  or  double,  taller  or 
shorter,  but  they  are  worth 
growing  in  any  garden,  and  are  pretty  sure  to  yield  well.  Sow 
them  among  the  earliest  seedings,  under  glass  in  March  or  April, 
outdoors  in  late  April.  They  should  stand  in  the  garden  six  inches 
or  more  apart.  Once  they  have  begun  to  flower,  which  some  of 
them  do  very  soon,  do  not  allow  them  to  go  to  seed.  The  Margue- 
rite carnations  will  flower  till  heavy  frosts,  and  under  a  light  mulch 
will  often  live  over  winter,  flowering  the  second  year. 

The  perennial  or  Sweet  May  pinks  come  in  several  varieties, 


FIG.  201.  —  China  pinks. 


360  PLANTING  LIST 

more  or  less  double.  Best  known  is  the  Scotch  or  Grass  pink, 
which  forms  low  mats  of  foliage,  and  in  early  spring  bears  many 
fragrant  flowers.  It  is  excellent  for  edgings.  These  pinks  are 
easily  grown  from  seed  (treat  as  above,  but  give  a  foot  of  space)  or 
from  root-divisions. 

Poker  Plant,  or  Red-hot  Poker  Plant :  A  brilliant  late-flowering 
plant,  half-hardy,  which  sends  up  showy  spikes  in  fall.  Its  roots 
can  be  bought  of  seedsmen  in  spring;  they  should  be  planted  in 
full  sun,  in  masses  in  the  border.  The  flowers  appear  in  September 
and  October.  North  of  New  York  the  plants  are  often  winter- 
killed, even  though  mulched;  the  roots  had  best  be  stored  like 
those  of  dahlias.  They  multiply  rapidly,  and  can  be  divided  before 
planting  in  spring. 

Poppy:  True  poppies  (see  also  California  Poppy}  come  in  three 
groups,  all  hardy. 

Annual  Poppies:  These  include  the  opium  poppy,  seldom  grown, 
and  a  large  variety  of  other  poppies,  of  which  the  most  beautiful 
are  the  Shirley  poppies.  They  come  in  all  colors,  and  are  single 
and  double,  plain  and  crimped.  Few  flowers  are  more  beautiful 
than  some  of  those  in  this  group.  When  once  they  have  begun  to 
bloom,  often  as  early  as  June,  they  flower  all  summer  if  kept  picked. 
They  should  be  sowed  thinly  and  covered  lightly,  best  where  they 
are  to  stand,  as  they  transplant  poorly.  The  soil  should  be  light 
and  rich.  Sow  from  late  April  fortnightly  till  June,  and  thin  to  nine 
inches  or  more  apart. 

Iceland  Poppies:  These  are  perennials,  but  are  grown  as  annuals. 
Whereas  the  Shirley  poppies  are  often  three  inches  across,  and  nearly 
two  feet  high,  the  flowers  of  the  Iceland  poppy  are  but  half  their 
size,  and  rise  about  a  foot  on  very  slender  stems.  The  colors  are 
chiefly  bright  yellow  and  orange  shades,  and  the  plants  are  ex- 
ceedingly dainty  and  attractive.  The  soil  should  be  the  same  as 
for  the  annuals,  and  they  should  be  sown  where  they  are  to  stand. 
Thin  to  six  inches. 

Oriental  Poppies:  These  are  perennial  plants,  very  large,  requir- 
ing nearly  three  feet  of  space  in  rich  ground,  which  they  love. 


PLANTING  LIST 


361 


They  can  be  raised  from  seed  (they  seed  themselves  freely)  and 
from  root-division;  they  should  be  transplanted  with  care  when 
young,  and  even  dividing  the  roots  must  be  done  with  care  not  to 
let  the  plants  dry  out.  Raising  from  seed  is  really  the  best  method. 
Sow  under  glass  in  April,  or  outdoors  in  early  May,  and  when  the 
plants  have  their 
fourth  leaf,  set  where 
they  are  to  stay. 
They  flower  well  (in 
June)  after  the  first 
year,  with  great  blos- 
soms of  strongest 
scarlet,  marked  with 
black  at  the  heart. 
New  shades  have 
recently  been  intro- 
duced. 

If  cut  for  the  house, 
all  poppies  should  be 
taken  as  soon  as  they 
open,  before  the  bees 
spoil  them. 

Portulaca :  A  low, 
tender  plant  which 
spreads  rapidly,  pro- 
viding a  cover  for  bare 
spaces,  and  beautify- 
ing it  with  yellow  or 
red  flowers.  It 

thrives  anywhere,  but  likes  sandy  soil  and  full  sun,  not  minding 
a  drought.  It  can  be  transplanted  even  in  midsummer.  It  is  a 
hot-weather  plant ;  therefore  sow  outdoors,  where  it  is  to  stand,  in 
late  May,  and  thin  the  plants  to  about  a  foot  apart.  The  old 
varieties  were  single ;  modern  ones  are  beautifully  double,  but  much 
of  their  seed  produces  only  single  flowers,  the  plants  of  which  must 
be  weeded  out. 


FIG.  202.  —  The  Iceland  poppy  is  attractive  for 
its  delicacy. 


362 


PLANTING   LIST 


Potato :  An  easily  grown,  tender  vegetable,  raised  from  its  tubers 
and  not  from  seed.  For  fear  of  scab  it  should  not  be  grown  on  soil 
that  has  been  recently  manured;  but  it  does  well  on  grass  land 
recently  plowed.  The  soil  should  be  rich,  but  not  wet;  earliest 
varieties  may  be  planted  in  sandy  soil.  Consult  your  seedsman 


FIG.  203.  —  Never  be  satisfied  with  scabby  potatoes. 

as  to  the  kinds  best  suited  to  your  locality;   but  sow  two  kinds, 
early  and  late. 

The  worst  disease  of  the  roots  is  scab,  against  which  roll  the 
"  seed,"  before  it  is  planted,  in  flowers  of  sulphur,  the  most  easily 
applied  remedy.  Or  soak  the  potatoes,  before  they  are  cut,  in 
formaldehyde  (to  be  bought  at  any  druggist's),  a  tumblerful  (eight 
ounces)  in  fifteen  gallons  of  water,  for  two  hours. 


PLANTING  LIST 


363 


Prepare  the  ground  well,  and  scatter  in  the  rows,  below  the  seed- 
pieces,  a  good  dressing  of  high-grade  potato  fertilizer,  bought  of  a 
reliable  dealer.  Cut  the  large  potatoes  to  at  least  two  eyes ;  small 
ones,  of  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg,  are  very  satisfactory  to  sow  whole. 
For  earliness,  all  seed  potatoes  (uncut)  may  be  started  in  a  warm 
cellar,  near  the  light,'  and  set  out  as  soon  as  the  shoots  are  two  inches 
long. 

Early  potatoes  may  be  set  eighteen  inches  apart  each  way,  or 
twelve  by  eighteen  inches  if  space  is  small,  and  if  the  plants  are  to 
be  well  fed  and  highly 
cultivated.  Give  la- 
ter plants  more  space. 
Set  all  pieces  four 
inches  underground, 
lest  the  new  tubers, 
as  they  form,  rise 
above  the  ground, 
and  so  get  sun-burned 
arid  spoiled.  Deep 
setting  will  save  hil- 
ling the  potatoes  (or 
earthing  up),  which 
in  spite  of  old  practice 
is  not  good  for  the  crop,  as  it  cuts  many  roots  that  feed  near  the 
surface,  and  dries  out  the  soil.  In  wet  soil,  depth  3  inches. 

The  worst  enemies  of  the  growing  plants  are  the  potato-bug 
and  the  flea-beetle ;  the  serious  diseases  are  the  blights.  To  fight 
them  all,  spray  the  plants  as  soon  as  they  are  a  few  inches  high,  and 
after  that  every  ten  days,  with  Bordeaux  mixed  with  arsenate  of 
lead,  or  Paris  green,  which  for  small  gardens  can  usually  be  bought 
ready  mixed,  needing  only  water  to  be  ready  for  spraying.  The 
arsenate  sticks  better.  This  frequent  spraying  is  best  in  the  long 
run,  and  there  is  no  excuse  except  carelessness  or  laziness  for  apply- 
ing either  the  spray  or  the  poison  alone. 

Potatoes  should  be  carefully  cultivated  after  every  rain,  and 
weekly  in  a  drought.  Dig  the  early  ones  as  they  are  needed; 


FIG.  204.  —  Set  your  potatoes  deep  and  don't 
"hill  "them.     Why? 


364  PLANTING   LIST 

leave  the  late  ones  in  the  ground  (unless  the  season  is  very  rainy, 
and  rot  is  feared)  as  long  as  their  tops  are  green. 

Seed  potatoes  for  next  year  should  be  saved  out  of  any  crop  that 
does  well.  Note  the  plants  which  are  largest,  greenest,  and  strong- 
est, and  dig  them  separately.  If  they  have  good  tubers,  save 
these  separately.  But  you  should  understand  what  is  meant  by 
"  good  "  tubers,  and  to  do  this  you  should  know  what  the  variety 
is  expected  to  produce.  The  shapes  of  the  varieties  vary  consider- 
ably ;  the  proper  shape,  and  not  mere  size,  is  what  should  be  looked 
for. 

After  digging  potatoes,  let  them  lie  in  the  sun  and  light  only 
long  enough  to  dry  them.  Then  box  or  barrel  them  quickly,  and 
store  them  in  a  cool,  dark,  dry  cellar. 

Pumpkin :  A  running  squash,  and  should  be  grown  like  one. 

Pyrethrum,  a  Chrysanthemum,  is  a  hardy  perennial  plant  in 
many  beautiful  varieties,  worth  growing  in  any  garden  for  the  masses 
of  tall  flowers,  which  are  attractive  when  cut.  The  colors  range 
from  white  through  red  to  purple,  with  a  few  yellows.  The  plants, 
when  once  established,  flower  in  early  summer ;  the  single  or  double 
flowers  are  borne  singly  on  stems  usually  three  feet  or  more  in 
height.  Unfortunately,  pyrethrums  are  likely  to  rot  at  the  crown 
in  wet  weather ;  to  prevent  this  they  should  be  set  in  well-drained 
or  sandy  soil ;  their  crowns  may  be  protected  by  finely  sifted  coal 
ashes.  Buy  the  roots,  or  sow  seed  in  early  spring,  and  thin  to 
twelve  inches  or  more  apart.  One  variety,  however,  grows  very 
low,  and  requires  but  six  inches  of  space. 

Radish:  A  hardy  vegetable  very  widely  grown,  and  especially 
welcome  in  spring  as  yielding  the  earliest  of  vegetables  with  the 
exception  of  asparagus.  Buy  always  large,  plump  seed.  Varieties 
are  very  many ;  the  greatest  difference  is  between  the  small  red  or 
white,  cool  weather,  quick-growing  sorts,  and  the  large  summer 
and  winter  kinds.  Of  these  last  I  will  speak  separately. 

The  spring-  and  fall-grown  radishes  like  coolness,  and  should  be 
grown  quickly  on  light,  rich  soil  that  does  not  need  to  be  very  deep. 
Sow  as  soon  as  the  hot-frame  begins  to  cool  off,  and  follow  weekly 


PLANTING  LIST  365 

in  the  cold-frame  and  the  open  ground  until  mid-June.  The  seed 
may  be  sown  broadcast  or  in  drills  four  inches  or  more  apart ;  thin 
to  two  inches  or  more  apart,  and  give  the  best  culture.  Pick  the 
radishes  as  soon  as  they  are  large  enough  to  eat ;  the  longer  they 
remain,  the  more  peppery  they  get,  and  the  more  likely  they  are  to 
grow  pithy.  Begin  again  after  the  middle  of  August  to  sow  for 
fall  use.  The  worst  pest  of  the  radish  is  the  maggot,  which  quickly 
spoils  them.  Where  it  is  found,  therefore,  grow  radishes  either 
in  frames  in  cold  weather,  when  the  fly  is  not  active,  or  else  entirely 
under  cheesecloth ;  otherwise  give  up  the  crop  for  a  few  years. 

The  large  kinds  are  the  summer  radishes,  which  often  average 
a  pound  in  weight,  and  the  winter  radishes,  often  very  much  heavier. 
These  last,  though  grown  in  summer  and  fall,  may  be  stored  for 
winter  use.  The  large  radishes  are  firm  and  crisp  of  flesh,  and  are 
sliced  into  salads,  or  even  cooked.  Sow  them  in  June,  in  rows  a 
foot  or  more  apart  according  to  variety,  and  thin  to  six  inches  or 
more  apart.  The  large  Japanese  radishes  need  two  feet  of  space. 

Rhubarb,  or  Pie-plant:  Grown  for  its  thick,  juicy  leaf-stems, 
which  are  either  pulled  for  some  weeks  in  spring,  when  they  are  best, 
or  else  at  intervals  during  the  gardening  season.  The  plants  should 
not  be  exhausted  by  picking,  or  they  will  yield  poorly  afterwards. 
Flower  stalks  should  be  cut  off  the  moment  they  appear,  or  they 
will  weaken  the  plant.  Rhubarb  is  not  grown  from  seed,  but  is 
raised  from  root-divisions,  which  can  be  cheaply  bought.  Varieties 
are  few.  As  the  plants  stand  for  years  in  the  same  spot,  the  soil 
should  be  well  prepared  for  them.  Dig  each  hill  (four  feet  apart) 
as  deep  as  two  feet  if  possible,  putting  much  manure  in  the  bottom, 
and  mixing  with  the  soil  well-rotted  manure  or  compost.  The 
soil  should  best  not  be  cold,  but  rhubarb  will  grow  anywhere,  and 
poor  soils  can  be  made  satisfactory  with  manure.  Cover  the  crown 
a  couple  of  inches,  cultivate  well,  and  do  not  pick  until  the  second 
year.  This  first  picking  should  be  light,  but  the  next-year  stalks 
may  be  pulled  for  a  month  or  more,  always  leaving  about  half  of 
them  to  feed  the  plant.  Pull  them  from  the  crown  with  a  quick 
downward  motion,  and  leave  the  broad  leaves  lying  on  the  ground 


366 


PLANTING  LIST 


to  mulch  the  plant  and  to  provide  plant  food.  Four  plants  will  be 
plenty  for  an  ordinary  family.  Healthy,  well-fed  plants  should 
fully  cover  four  feet  of  ground  and  more.  The  plant  has  no  pests 
nor  diseases. 

Very  early  rhubarb  can  be  had  in  March  or  April  by  forcing; 


FIG.  205.  —  Rhubarb  for  the  whole  family. 

that  is,  by  packing  heating  manure  around  a  plant  (but  not  over 
the  crown)  and  covering  with  straw,  or  with  a  tub  or  barrel. 

Ricinus,  see  Castor  Bean. 

Rudbeckia,  see  Corn-flower  and  Golden  Glow. 

Roses,  see  the  chapter  on  them. 

Sage,  see  Salvia. 

Sage :    A  name  given  also  to  an  herb  grown  in  three  varieties, 
for  flavoring  or  medicine.      Grow  from  cuttings,  layers,  roots,  or 


PLANTING  LIST 


367 


seed;    distances,  a  foot  apart.     As  it  is  a  half-hardy  perennial, 
protect  in  winter. 

Salpiglossis,  or  Painted  Tongue :  A  half-hardy  annual,  provides 
in  summer  showy  flowers,  funnel-shaped  with  flaring  mouth,  in 
colors  ranging  from  purple  and  brown  and  gold  through  yellow  to 
white,  always 
veined  in  darker 
tints.  The  blos- 
soms are  attrac- 
tive in  the  garden, 
and  last  well  in  the 
house.  Plants 
may  be  sown 
under  glass  in 
April  (keep  them 
growing  fast)  or 
outdoors  in  May. 
Distances  in  the 
garden  a  foot  or 
more,  the  plants 
growing  from  one 
to  two  feet  high. 
The  soil  should  be 
light  and  rich,  with 
partial  shade. 


FIG.  206.  —  Salpiglossis  is  always  interesting. 


Salsify,  Oyster 
Plant,  or  Vegeta- 
ble Oyster  (so 
named  from  its 
flavor) :  A  very 

hardy,  long-season  vegetable,  which  should  be  sowed  very  early, 
so  as  to  give  the  roots,  which  do  not  grow  as  large  as  those  of 
carrots  or  parsnips,  as  much  time  as  possible  for  growing.  Rows 
should  be  a  foot  or  more  apart,  the  plants  four  inches  or  more  apart 
in  the  rows.  The  plants  transplant  poorly.  Feed  well  with  root 


368  PLANTING  LIST 

dressing,  and  cultivate  cleanly.  Use  the  roots  in  the  fall  as  wanted, 
leave  them  in  the  ground  over  winter,  or  take  them  up  and  store 
them  in  damp  sand  in  a  cool  cellar. 

Salvia :  This  has  a  few  varieties,  some  of  them  blue,  but  is  best 
grown  in  its  variety  Splendens,  or  Scarlet  Sage,  which  is  usually 
treated  as  a  half-hardy  annual.  It  is  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
flowers  that  we  have,  and  is  effective  anywhere,  but  especially 
against  a  dark  background.  Get  good  seed  of  an  early-blooming 
variety,  and  start  it  under  glass  if  possible,  or  outdoors  about 
May  15  in  a  sheltered  position.  Set  in  the  garden,  eighteen  inches 
apart,  in  June.  Soil  should  be  light,  and  rich  in  humus,  but  not 
full  of  nitrogen,  else  the  plants  will  bloom  late,  and  this  should  not 
happen  with  sage.  If  well  managed,  the  plants  will  send  up  their 
tall  spikes  in  late  July,  and  will  continue  blooming  till  frost. 

Satin  Flower,  see  Godetia. 

Scabiosa,  or  Mourning  Bride :  This  flower,  which  used  to  be 
offered  only  in  dark  colors,  is  now  to  be  had  in  white  and  even  in 
yellow.  Its  various  kinds  are  usually  treated  as  half-hardy  annuals, 
sown  under  glass  in  April,  outdoors  after  the  middle  of  May.  The 
soil  should  be  light  and  rich,  the  position  sunny.  The  plants  grow 
from  one  to  three  feet  tall,  and  should  be  spaced  a  foot  or  more 
apart,  according  to  variety.  The  blossoms,  borne  on  long  stems, 
and  attractive  in  masses  in  the  border,  or  lasting  well  in  the  house, 
begin  to  bloom  in  July,  and  continue  until  frost.  Scabiosa  is  a 
favorite  in  old-fashioned  gardens,  and  is  well  liked  to-day. 

Sea-kale :  A  vegetable  little  known  in  America,  but  an  English 
favorite  which  should  be  grown  here  by  any  who  have  room  for  a 
perennial  vegetable,  and  who  appreciate  early  spring  vegetables. 
The  plant  has  a  taste  of  cabbage,  hence  its  name.  It  lives  for 
some  years,  and  once  the  plants  are  well  established,  they  can  easily 
be  multiplied  by  root-cuttings.  Soak  the  seed  before  sowing  it; 
sow  in  the  cold-frame,  or  outdoors  when  frosts  are  past.  It  sprouts 
very  slowly.  Set  out  the  young  plants  about  two  feet  apart,  and 
allow  them  to  grow  through  the  second  year  before  cutting.  Feed 
them  well  with  manure  and  top-dressing. 


PLANTING  LIST 


369 


In  the  third  spring,  before  the  plants  start,  cover  them  with  boxes 
or  pots,  allowing  no  light  to  enter,  or  earth  them  up  to  a  depth  of 
five  or  six  inches.  When  the  shoots  are  six  inches  long  under  the 
box,  or  when  they  show  through  the  earth,  cut  them  for  the  table, 
taking  with  each  a 
half  inch  of  the 
crown.  Continue 
this  treatment  for 
about  three  weeks ; 
then  cut  out  all 
buds  but  one,  and 
when  this  is  well 
started,  level  the 
earth  over  the 
plant,  and  allow 
it  to  grow  for  next 
year.  The  shoots 
are  cooked  and 
served  like  aspara- 
gus, with  which  sea- 
kale  gives  a  very 
pfeasant  change. 

Every  third  fall 
root-cuttings 
should  be  taken, 
about  eight  inches 
long,  and  the  size 
of  a  lead  pencil. 
Keep  them  damp 
and  unfrozen  all 
winter,  and  in  the 
spring,  after  rubbing  from  each  cutting  all  buds  but  one,  set  them 
in  a  trench,  the  bud  covered  but  lightly.  Cover  it  as  the  shoot 
starts,  until  it  is  three  inches  deep.  Or  take  cuttings  in  spring, 
and  immediately  plant  them  about  three  inches  deep,  the  lower 
end  slanting  slightly  downward. 
2s 


FIG.  207.  —  Recent  varieties  of  snapdragon. 


370  PLANTING  LIST 

Snapdragon,  or  Antirrhinum,  a  plant  which  with  modern  varie- 
ties has  come  into'  very  great  favor,  is  a  half-hardy  perennial  treated 
usually  as  an  annual,  with  thickly  flowering  spikes  in  white,  reds, 
and  yellows.  It  cornes  in  dwarf  (six  inches),  intermediate,  and 
standard  varieties  (sometimes  two  feet  tall),  and  is  freely  used  for 
masses  in  the  border,  and  for  cut  flowers.  Sow  the  seed  under 
glass  for  earliest  bloom,  and  set  out  in  May  six  inches  to  eighteen 
apart  each  way,  according  to  variety.  Or  sow  outdoors  in  May, 
and  thin.  The  soil  should  be  warm  and  rich,  the  exposure 
sunny. 

If  the  seeds  are  sown  in  August,  strong  young  plants  may  be 
raised  before  winter,  which  may  either  be  taken  indoors  and  flowered 
in  the  house,  or  protected  by  a  mulch  or  frame  for  early  flowering 
the  next  year.  Such  plants  would  flower  in  June;  the  ordinary 
treatment  does  not  produce  flowers  until  July  or  later. 

Spearmint,  see  Mint. 

Spinach :  Prized  for  its  early  greens  in  spring,  this  is  a  hardy 
vegetable  which  comes  in  but  a  few  varieties,  all  of  them  going 
quickly  to.  seed  in  the  hot,  dry  weather  of  summer.  It  is  mostly 
grown  in  the  garden  in  two  ways. 

Sow  in  spring  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  fit,  in  rows  about  a  foot 
apart,  thinning  at  first  to  two  inches  apart  in  the  rows,  and  when 
the  plants  are  growing,  thin  well  again,  using  the  thinnings  for  food. 
The  plants  at  the  final  thinning  should  stand  six  inches  or  more 
apart,  and  when  they  are  of  full  size  the  whole  plants  should  be 
taken.  Spinach  is  mostly  of  two  kinds  :  thick-leaved,  hardiest  to 
frost;  and  long-standing,  slowest  to  go  to  seed  in  warm  weather. 
A  planting  of  each,  a  week  apart  in  April  or  early  May,  should 
carry  the  garden  into  the  season  of  other  vegetables,  such  as  peas, 
after  whose  coming  spinach  is  seldom  missed.  If  greens  are  wanted 
in  the  summer,  it  is  best  to  depend  on  chard  or  New  Zealand  spinach. 

Sow  spinach  again  in  late  August,  and  give  good  care  until  the 
ground  is  frozen ;  then  cover  the  plants  with  leaves,  straw,  or  litter, 
and  leave  them  till  spring.  They  will  give  an  extra-early  crop  under 
good  conditions,  but  often  winter-kill  badly,  and  run  early  to  seed. 


PLANTING  LIST  371 

Soil  for  spinach  should  be  light  and  quick.  Fertilize  with  nitrate, 
manure  water,  and  top-dressing. 

Spinach,  New  Zealand :  New  Zealand  spinach  is  a  summer  sub- 
stitute for  spinach,  a  slow-growing  hardy  annual  that  is  best  planted 
outdoors  in  May,  or  else  started  under  glass  in  April.  Set  out  in 
hills,  best  two  feet  or' more  apart;  the  plant  spreads  very  widely, 
often  covering  more  than  six  feet.  Keep  it  in  bounds  by  picking 
the  leaves  and  young  tips  when  once  the  plants  are  growing  vigor- 


FIG.  208.  —  SQUASHES  ARE  OF  SEVERAL  KINDS. 
These  winter  squash  keep  well. 

ously;  they  are  cooked  like  spinach.  The  plant  has  no  enemies. 
It  likes  a  heavier  loam  than  spinach,  and  may  be  fed  with  top- 
dressing,  and  occasional  small  quantities,  especially  when  small,  of 
nitrate  or  manure  water.  It  will  seed  itself. 

Sprouts,  see  Brussels  Sprouts. 

Squash :  A  vegetable  of  several  kinds,  some,  the  bush  squashes, 
yielding  early,  others,  the  running  varieties,  requiring  all  the  season. 
It  is  very  tender,  and  should  when  possible  be  started  under  glass, 
in  such  fashion  (using  strawberry  boxes,  etc.)  that  its  roots  will  not 


372 


PLANTING  LIST 


be  disturbed  when  the  plant  is  set  in  the  field.  Or  start  in  little 
frames  out  of  doors.  Some  of  its  varieties,  with  the  pumpkin,  are 
rather  coarse ;  but  the  finer  are  delicate.  Not  yet  properly  known 
is  the  Vegetable  Marrow,  a  squash  cultivated  widely  in  England 
and  Italy,  and  now  offered  by  our  own  seedsmen.  Set  the  plants 
in  hills,  three  to  the  hill ;  the  soil  should  be  made  rich  with  compost 
or  with  old  manure.  Do  not  feed  with  nitrogen  except  in  small 
doses  when  young ;  the  plants  will  otherwise  run  to  vine. 

Bush  squashes  should  be  given  three  feet  or  more  of  space ;  run- 
ning kinds  should  have  at  least  six.  To  sow  squashes  with  corn, 

as  the  farmer  sows  his 
pumpkins,  is  fair  neither  to 
the  squashes  nor  the  corn. 

Marrows  are  both  bush 
and  running,  and  come  in 
several  varieties.  They  may 
be  used  to  boil,  like  squash, 
or  when  three-quarters 
grown  may  be  sliced  and 
fried,  like  eggplant.  One 

FIG.    209.  — MARROWS,    SMALL   AND   BIG,  of  the  best  ways  in  which  to 

WITH  BLOSSOMS. 
Fry  the  blossoms  in  batter. 

inches  long.  As  fast  as  the  young  fruits  are  picked,  the  plants  set 
more.  These  young  fruits  are  very  delicate.  Squash,  having  a 
coarser  rind,  cannot  be  so  used.  Squash  blossoms  are  excellent 
when  fried  in  batter;  pick  only  the  staminate  blossoms,  on  the 
long  stems;  the  others  are  needed  for  fruiting.  With  the  best 
kinds  of  winter  squashes  allow  only  one  fruit  to  each  branch. 

The  worst  pest  of  squash  is  the  squash  bug.  Watch  for  the  shiny 
brown  eggs  laid  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaves,  tear  them  off,  and 
destroy  them.  If  the  eggs  escape  you,  and  the  bugs  hatch,  kill 
them  relentlessly,  before  they  grow  larger.  If  the  cucumber 
beetle  attacks  the  young  plants,  poison  them  with  pyrethrum  or 
hellebore,  or  pick  them  by  hand:  Mildew  is  often  troublesome; 
against  it  spray  as  for  cucumber. 


use'  them,    however,    is   to 
take  them  when  two  or  three 


PLANTING  LIST        .  373 

Starwort,  see  Perennial  Aster. 

Stock,  or  Gilliflower :  A  fine,  free-flowering  plant,  excellent  for 
the  garden  or  the  house.  It  is  cultivated  in  two  ways. 

Summer  flowering  stocks,  often  called  Ten-Weeks  stocks,  are 
easily  raised,  to  flower  from  midsummer  until  after  the  first  frosts. 
The  plants  are  not  very  large,  from  a  foot  to  eighteen  inches,  but 
may  be  massed  in  the  border,  where  their  colors  (yellows  and  reds, 
but  best  in  white  and  pink)  are  very  attractive.  Like  the  other 
stocks,  they  bear  their  flowers  (usually  very  double)  closely  crowded 
on  stalks:  Sow  them  under  glass  in  March  or  April,  to  set  outdoors 
in  late  May ;  or  sow  outdoors  after  the  middle  of  May.  Successive 
sowings,  a  fortnight  apart,  will  pay.  The  plants  should  stand  about 
a  foot  apart.  They  like  deep  and  rich  soil,  and  should  never  be 
allowed  to  dry  out,  or  they  lose  their  leaves. 

Autumnal  stocks  are  half-hardy  biennials,  and  if  started  early, 
as  directed  above,  will  give  brilliant  bloom  in  the  fall.  Or  they 
may  be  started  in  August,  to  be  taken  into  the  house  at  the  approach 
of  frost,  or  to  be  wintered,  south  of  New  York,  through  mild  winters 
under  a  mulch,  or  farther  north  in^  a  frame.  They  will  flower  well 
the  second  year. 

Sunflower,  or  Helianthus :  It  may  be  grown  in  both  annual  and 
perennial  varieties.  Annuals  are  mostly  tender.  They  vary  from 
the  well-known  large  single  flowers  to  smaller  ones  borne  singly  or 
in  clusters.  The  blossoms  vary  much  in  shape,  some  of  them  being 
very  attractive.  Heights  vary;  the  flowers  are  all  yellow,  as  are 
the  perennials.  Plant  the  annuals  in  late  May.  The  perennials 
are  hardy,  and  are  more  varied  and  interesting  than  the  annuals ; 
they  may  be  raised  from  seed  (sow  in  late  April  or  early  May)  or 
from  root-divisions.  Annuals  do  well  in  moist  ground,  but  the 
perennials  prefer  dry  soil,  and  must  be  reset  every  few  years,  or 
they  will  die  out.  Sunflowers  are  very  effective  and  useful  when 
planted  as  screens  or  among  shrubs.  Space  them  from  eighteen 
inches  to  four  feet  apart,  according  to  the  variety. 

Sweet  Pea :  One  of  the  finest  garden  flowers,  its  one  drawback 
being  that  except  on  the  dwarf  varieties,  not  as  yet  very  popular, 


374  PLANTING  LIST 

it  does  not  look  well  when  growing.  Its  foliage  is  thin,  and  in  late 
summer  sometimes  becomes  mildewed ;  further,  the  tall  plants  must 
have  some  support,  and  this  support  is  seldom  handsome.  But  the 
flowers  are  most  beautiful  for  picking,  and  are  fragrant.  They 
may  well  occupy  a  row  in  the  vegetable  garden,  where  they  get  the 
treatment  which  exactly  suits  them. 

Grow  the  dwarfs  in  clumps,  eighteen  inches  apart. 

The  tall  varieties  bear  flowers  in  endless  choice  of  shades,  whether 
pure  or  variegated,  and  in  several  shapes.  For  largest  blossoms 
expensive  seed  should  be  bought ;  it  is  well  also  to  buy  the  named 
rather  than  the  mixed  varieties,  and  to  grow  them  separately. 

Seed  of  sweet  peas  are  very  hardy,  and  toward  the  south  they 
may  be  planted  in  November  for  spring  flowering.  But  this  is  an 
uncertain  practice ;  generally  it  is  best  to  sow  them  in  spring  as 
soon  as  the  ground  is  fit.  For  their  reception  make  a  trench  a  foot 
deep,  pack  in  the  bottom  old  manure,  and  on  it  put  strong  loam, 
mixed  with  bone-meal.  Six  inches  below  the  surface  of  the  garden 
sow  the  seed,  and  cover  an  inch  or  two.  As  the  plants  grow,  grad- 
ually fill  in  the  trench  till  it  is  level.  This  is  the  best  treatment, 
designed  to  give  a  long  season  of  bloom  and  to  prevent  mildew. 
The  nearer  the  gardener  can  come  to  it,  the  better  will  be  his  results. 
But  no  nitrogen  should  be  used,  or  the  plants  will  run  to  vine. 
It  is  best  to  have  two  trenches,  side  by  side,  six  inches  apart,  and 
to  run  the  support  between.  For  this,  brush  or  chicken  wire  are 
commonly  used. 

Pick  the  flowers  as  they  open  out.  Never  let  them  fade  or  go  to 
seed. 

Sweet  Sultan,  see  Corn-flower. 

Sweet  William :  One  of  the  Pink  family,  a  biennial  flower  bearing 
large  trusses  of  white  or  pink  flowers,  very  handsome  when  well 
cared  for,  and  seeding  itself  so  well  that  when  once  it  is  established 
in  a  bed  there  is  no  failure  of  plants.  It  grows  eighteen  inches  or 
more  tall,  and  is  fine  for  massing  in  the  garden,  or  for  cutting.  The 
flowers  are  sweet-scented,  and  are  single  or  double,  handsomely 
fringed.  Sow  in  the  spring  when  the  ground  is  fit,  thin  to  six  or 


PLANTING  LIST 


375 


eight  inches,  and  cultivate  well.  Transplant  in  September  to  the 
final  positions,  eighteen  inches  or  more  apart,  in  strong  soil.  Or 
sow  in  seed  bed  freshly  ripe  seed,  when  once  well  dried,  in  mid- 
summer, and  set  out  in  September.  The  plants  will  bloom  hand- 
somely the  second  year. 

Thyme :  In  various  varieties,  this  is  used  in  seasoning.  A  half- 
hardy  perennial, 
grown  from  seeds  or 
root-divisions  or  from 
layers.  Set  a  foot 
apart. 

Tomato :  A  vege- 
table much  improved 
in  recent  years,  and 
worth  growing  in 
every  vegetable  gar- 
den, where  a  very 
few  plants  will  yield 
many  fruits.  The 
plants  are  tender,  and, 
as  when  once  bearing 
they  will  continue 
until  frost,  it  is  wise 
to  start  them  very 
early.  There  are 
dwarf  and  standard 
kinds,  the  fruits  rang- 
ing from  small  to  very 
large ;  there  are 

some  whose  plum-like  fruits  grow  in  bunches;  and  besides  the 
red  there  are  pink  and  yellow  kinds.  Tomato  has  few  enemies 
except  an  occasional  rot  that  is  hard  to  control,  but  which  is  best 
prevented  by  keeping  the  fruit  off  the  ground,  either  by  training, 
or  by  a  mulch  of  straw. 

Tomato  plants  are  sold  in  great  quantities  cheaply  in  spring,  but 
from  a  five-cent  seed-packet  one  can  raise  many  plants  at  home. 


FIG.  210.  —  Sweet  William  makes  fine  clumps. 


376  PLANTING  LIST 

Sow  them  under  glass  in  March  or  April,  and  (south  of  New  York) 
out  of  doors  after  frosts  are  past.  Two  sowings  are  scarcely  neces- 
sary. Thin  the  young  plants  to  stand  four  inches  or  more  apart, 
and  when  hardened  off,  set  them  in  the  garden,  in  deep,  rich,  moist 
soil.  Protect  them  with  collars,  from  cutworms.  The  distances 
should  be  according  to  the  style  of.  training.  If  the  plants  are  to 
be  allowed  to  lie  on  the  ground,  they  should  be  set  three  feet  by 
eighteen  inches  or  more ;  if  they  are  to  be  trained,  they  may  stand 
as  near  as  a  foot  apart  in  the  rows,  the  rows  eighteen  inches  or 
more  apart.  All  depends  upon  the  kind  of  trellis,  however.  Sup- 
ports for  tomatoes  are  often  made  of  barrel  hoops  held  up  by 
stakes.  But  the  simplest  means  of  training  tomatoes  is  by  tying 
them  to  stout  stakes,  set  to  the  north  of  the  plants.  Tie  the 
plants  as  they  grow,  loosely,  by  means  of  raffia  or  soft  cord. 

The  pruning  of  tomatoes  is  worth  while,  because  it  brings  an 
earlier  crop.  Half  of  those  which  are  set  should  be  pruned,  in  order 
to  secure  early  fruits.  Allow  only  one,  two,  or  three  stems  to  grow 
on  each  plant,  and  after  these  are  started,  cut  off  from  all  of  them, 
weekly,  all  side  shoots.  The  fruits  that  start  on  these  plants  will 
ripen  fast.  Use  a  knife  in  taking  off  the  shoots,  so  as  not  to  soil  the 
ringers. 

Protection  of  the  plants  from  early  frosts  will  lengthen  the  season. 
Trained  plants  may  be  cut  from  their  stakes  and  laid  on  the  ground 
when  frosts  approach,  so  as  to  be  conveniently  covered  at  night. 

Tritoma,  see  Poker  Plant. 

Turnip :  A  vegetable  of  the  cabbage  family,  grown  for  its  root, 
which  is  white  or  yellow.  The  plant  is  very  hardy,  and  may  be 
sowed  in  early  spring,  in  rows  about  a  foot  apart  (more  space  is 
better)  and  thinned  to  about  six  inches  in  the  rows.  It  is  a  short- 
season  and  cool-weather  crop,  and  may  be  sown  again  in  August 
for  a  fall  crop ;  in  summer  the  roots  are  woody.  Feed  well  with  top- 
dressing.  Where  the  maggot  is  troublesome,  it  is  scarcely  worth 
while  to  sow  turnips  exc'ept  under  cheesecloth ;  and  if  the  club-foot 
gets  into  the  ground,  the  crop  should  not  be  sown  for  two  or  three 
years.  Turnips  are  seldom  transplanted. 


PLANTING  LIST  377 

Udo :  A  Japanese  perennial  vegetable,  little  known.  It  is  grown 
in  two  forms,  of  which  only  Kan  Udo  should  be  grown  by  the  aver- 
age gardener.  It  is  grown  from  seed,  which  is  not  carried  by  all 
seedsmen.  One  desiring  to  get  it  should  write  to  the  Department 
of  Agriculture  at  Washington,  B.C. 

Sow  in  a  seed  bed,  in  early  spring,  and  thin  to  six  inches  apart. 
Transplant  when  six  inches  tall  into  the  garden,  in  a  row  close  to  the 
asparagus  and  rhubarb  (see  page  197).  Distances  should  be  two 
feet  by  one.  The  soil  should  be  rich  and  deep.  Feed  well  with 
top-dressing,  and  cultivate  carefully  all  summer.  In  early  Sep- 
tember cut  the  plants  to  the  ground,  and  cover  with  boxes  or 
pots,  or  earth  with  stone-free  soil  to  a  height  of  a  foot  or  more. 
Cut  the  shoots  when  they  show  through  the  earth,  or  in  the  boxes 
when  eight  inches  or  more  long.  Do  not  injure  the  smaller  shoots, 
but  continue  cutting  as  long  as  shoots  come.  Then  level  the  earth 
around  the  plants,  and  mulch  for  the  winter  .with  straw  or  leaves. 
Manure  in  spring,  or  give  top-dressing. 

Vegetable  Marrow,  see  Squash. 
Vegetable  Oyster,  see  Salsify. 

Verbena :  A  low  creeping  plant,  grown  as  a  hardy  annual,  and 
used  for  covering  bare  spaces  in  full  sun.  Its  scented  flowers  are 
welcome  in  the  house;  their  colors  are  best  in  reds,  white,  and 
blues,  and  in  beds  they  are  very  effective.  It  is  easily  grown  from 
seed,  though  florists  often  start  it  from  cuttings.  The  seed  should 
be  soaked  in  warm  water  before  planting.  Start  it  under  glass  in 
March  or  April,  outdoors  in  May,  sowing  the  seed  somewhat  shallow 
in  rich  soil  that  should,  if  possible,  be  clayey.  The  young  plants, 
raised  under  glass,  do  best  in  pots ;  thin  them  in  the  seed  bed  to 
three  inches;  the  permanent  distances  should  be  a  foot  or  more 
apart.  The  stems  strike  root  as  they  spread,  and  two  feet  apart 
is  not  too  little. 

Violets :  These  are  perennials  of  many  varieties,  growing  naturally 
in  different  kinds  of  soil,  but  usually  doing  well  in  ordinary  garden 
loam.  Wild  ones  may  be  transplanted.  They  are  not  commonly 
grown  from  seed,  but  from  runners  or  from  root-divisions.  Set 


378  PLANTING  LIST 

them  in  their  beds  in  spring  or  fall,  six  inches  or  more  apart,  and  give 
clean  culture.  In  winter  they  need  protection  of  some  kind ;  they 
will  often  bloom  in  very  cold  weather  when  under  a  cold-frame; 
but  they  need  ventilation.  Set  in  the  edges  of  the  border,  or  under 
shrubs,  violets  will  usually  increase  from  seed  or  runners  without 
much  care,  and  will  blossom  freely  in  the  spring. 

Wallflowers:  Annual  or  perennial  plants  of  considerable  value 
for  their  old-fashioned  effect  in  bedding;  the  flowers  are  yellows 
and  browns,  with  modern  varieties  in  white  and  red;  they  are 
sweet-scented,  and  are  borne  very  freely  in  early  summer.  Sow 
early  under  glass,  or  outdoors  after  the  middle  of  May;  set  the 
plants  nine  inches  or  more  apart.  Or  sow  freshly  ripe  seed  of 
perennial  varieties  in  summer,  water  well,  and  set  out  in  September, 
protecting  in  winter.  Wallflowers  are  tender. 

Watermelons :  Grown  much  like  Muskmelons,  except  that  they 
need  more  space,  six  feet  if  possible.  For  the  north  only  the  early 
varieties  should  be  grown,  except  on  very  light  and  early  soil,  and 
after  starting  under  glass.  Do  not  let  the  plants  set  more  than  one 
fruit  to  a  branch.  The  soil  should  not  have  much  nitrogen,  or  they 
will  run  to  vine. 

Youth  and  Old  Age,  see  Zinnia. 

Yucca :  A  tropical  perennial  plant,  which  strangely  enough  is  very 
hardy,  and  is  worth  having  in  the  garden  for  the  sake  of  its  foliage 
alone,  and  the  contrast  of  its  stiff,  sword-like  leaves  with  the  more 
graceful  foliage  of  our  northern  plants.  But  besides  this,  Yucca 
flowers  very  beautifully,  sending  up  in  midsummer  a  tall  stalk 
with  clusters  of  waxy  cream- white  flowers,  which  are  very  handsome. 
It  can  be  raised  from  seed,  which  should  be  sowed  in  any  light  soil 
in  May,  and  planted  out  finally  about  the  end  of  June,  distances 
two  feet  or  more  apart.  On  the  plants  form  offsets,  which  in  spring 
may  be  cut  away  and  set  separately.  These  young  plants  may  be 
bought  of  seedsmen.  The  exposure  for  Yucca  should  be  sunny. 
Filamentosa  is  the  variety  which  is  most  successful  in  the  north; 
it  is  frequently  called  Adam's  Needle. 


PLANTING  LIST 


379 


Zinnia,  sometimes  called  Youth  and  Old  Age :  A  hardy  annual, 
its  blossoms  most  showy  in  many  colors,  easily  grown,  and  worth 
having.  Its  kinds  are  dwarf,  medium,  and  tall;  single  varieties 
are  seldom  sown,  most  gardeners  preferring  the  double.  The 
zinnia  is  a  little  stiff,  and  its  colors  are  not  so  soft  as  those  of  the 
aster;  but  the  ease 
with  which  it  may 
be  grown,  and  its 
brightness,  make  up 
for  such  defects. 

Zinnias  may  be 
sown  indoors  in 
April,  and  trans- 
planted; but  they 
are  so  easily  grown 
out  of  doors  that 
this  trouble  scarcely 
pays.  Sow  them 
outdoors  in  late 
April  or  early  May, 
and  thin  them  to  a 
foot  or  more  apart, 
according  to  vari- 
ety. They  trans- 
plant readily ;  in- 
deed, they  are 
stockier  for  trans- 
planting ;  and  they 


look  finely  in  large  FIG.  211.  —  Zinnia  is  very  showy, 

masses,    or  in   stiff 

lines  marking  a  border.  They  flower  from  midsummer  till  frost. 
It  is  well  to  buy  the  named  rather  than  the  mixed  varieties,  and 
to  pull  out  any  plants  whose  colors  do  not  harmonize.  Zinnias 
like  a  strong  and  rich  soil,  and  enjoy  full  sun. 


PLANTING  TABLE 

THIS  is  intended  to  give  general  directions  for  garden  work  in 
the  latitude  of  New  York.  Seasons  will,  of  course,  vary  from  year 
to  year.  For  every  hundred  miles  farther  south,  do  the  work  a 
week  earlier;  for  each  hundred  miles  farther  north,  begin  a  week 
later.  Height  above  the  sea  will  also  make  a  difference.  Ask 
old  gardeners  in  your  town  to  set  for  you  the  two  average  dates : 
when  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground,  and  when  the  danger  from 
frosts  is  past.  These  will  help  you  to  regulate  your  season. 

No  actual  dates  are  here  given,  but  the  duties  are  arranged  in 
about  their  proper  order. 

JANUARY 

Order  seed  catalogue. 
Make  garden  plans. 
Order  seed. 

Send  for  nursery  catalogues  of  shrubs  and  vines. 
Test  your  seed. 
Order  strawberry  catalogue. 
Buy  poisons  and  spray  material. 
Order  strawberry  plants  for  April  delivery. 
Get  garden  stakes  in  order. 
Order  roots  of  perennial  vegetables  and  flowers. 
Order  gladioli,  lilies,  and  dahlias. 
Cut  pea-brush. 
Order  wire  and  twine. 

Get  formaldehyde  or  flowers  of  sulphur  for  potatoes. 
Balance  your  accounts. 

FEBRUARY 

Overhaul  flats  and  frames. 
Paint  stakes,  frames,  and  wheelbarrow. 
Overhaul  sprayer. 

380 


PLANTING   TABLE  381 

Store  gladiolus  and  lily  bulbs  in  damp  sand. 

Mix  potting  earth. 

Scrub  flower  pots. 

Keep  account  of  all  time  spent  on  garden  work. 

Order  new  pots  to  replace  broken  ones. 

Mend  all  broken  tools. 

Make  cheesecloth  frames  for  cabbage  and  cauliflower. 

Balance  your  accounts. 

MARCH 

Set  your  hot-bed  pit-frame. 
Temper  your  manure. 
Pack  manure  in  hot-beds. 
Take  hot-bed  temperature  daily. 
Sow  in  hot-beds  hardy  flowers  and  vegetables. 
Try  small  sowings  of  new  varieties. 
Watch  hot-beds  carefully  till  seedlings  appear. 
Start  forcing  a  few  hills  of  rhubarb. 
Sow  in  hot-beds  tender  flowers  and  vegetables. 
;   Sow  radish  weekly. 
Sow  lettuce  every  fortnight. 
Set  cold-frames,  to  warm  the  ground. 
Balance  your  accounts. 

APRIL 

Thin  hot-bed  plants. 

When  ground  beneath  cold-frames  is  thoroughly  warm,  prepare  it 
for  sowing. 

Sow  in  cold-frames  all  hardy  seed. 

Finish  hot-bed  thinning. 

Begin  sprouting  early  potatoes  in  house  or  frame. 

FROST  OUT  OF  THE  GROUND. 

Sharpen  your  asparagus  knife. 

Sow  in  cold-frames  tender  flowers  and  vegetables. 

Manure  the  asparagus  and  rhubarb. 


382  PLANTING   TABLE 

Spade  the  asparagus  and  rhubarb  lightly,  so  as  not  to  hurt  roots. 

Manure  the  vegetable  garden,  and  spade  it. 

Do  the  same  to  all  unplanted  flower-beds. 

Uncover  perennial  flower-beds. 

Roll  the  lawn. 

Pot  in  hot-beds  young  peppers  and  eggplant. 

Thin  plants  in  cold-frames. 

Transplant  in  hot-beds  young  tomatoes  and  celery. 

Prepare  protected  seed  bed  out  of  doors. 

Begin  planting  hardy  seed  outdoors. 

Plant  in  garden  sweet  peas  in  trench. 

Plant  round-seeded  peas. 

Plant  thick-leaved  spinach. 

Set  shrubs  and  vines,  and  plant  fruit-garden. 

Plant  dwarf  wrinkled  peas. 

Set  hardy  perennial  flower  roots,  with  asparagus  and  rhubarb. 

Transplant  in  frames  all  perennial  seedlings. 

Soak  seed  of  beets  and  chard. 

Sow  French  forcing  carrots. 

Sow  beets  and  chard. 

Keep  a  daily  record  of  all  hours  of  labor. 

Remember  to  label  everything  you  plant. 

Sow  under  cheesecloth  cabbage  and  cauliflower. 

Sow  late  celery  outdoors  in  seed  bed. 

Second  transplanting  of  celery  in  frames. 

Plant  onion-sets  in  garden. 

Begin  general  planting  of  all  hardy  seed. 

Succession  planting  of  dwarf  wrinkled  peas. 

Sow  a  row  of  sugar  peas. 

Finish  sowing  of  hardy  seed. 

Begin  sowing  half-hardy  seed. 

Succession  planting  of  spinach,  long-standing  variety. 

Set  out  young  strawberry  plants. 

Risk  a  planting  of  early  corn  and  beans. 

Balance  accounts. 


PLANTING   TABLE  383 

MAY 

Sow  New  Zealand  spinach. 

Plant  lilies. 

Plant  Jerusalem  artichoke. 

Begin  hardening  'off  hardy  seedlings  in  frames. 

Sow  beets  fortnightly,  also  lettuce  and  cress. 

Sow  radish  weekly. 

Sow  wrinkled  peas,  half-dwarf. 

Plant  out  lettuce  from  frames. 

Begin-  to  thin  your  hardy  seedlings  in  the  garden. 

Plant  out  hot-bed  onions  and  early  celery. 

Watch  for  late  frosts. 

Finish  sowing  in  garden  all  half-hardy  seed. 

Plant  gladioli. 

Prepare  formaldehyde  for  potatoes. 

Treat  your  seed-potatoes  for  scab. 

Begin  to  harden  off  tender  seedlings  in  frames. 

Plant  out  early  cauliflower  and  cabbage. 

Cut  your  early  seed-potatoes. 

Plant  early  potatoes. 

Plant  tall  peas. 

Begin  to  sow  summer  lettuces,  loose-heading  kinds. 

Set  cannas  and  dahlia  tubers. 

Succession  planting  of  corn  and  dwarf  beans. 

Set  outdoors  hardy  seedlings  from  frames. 

DANGER  FROM  FROSTS  PAST. 

Plant  outdoors  seed  of  cucumbers,  squashes,  melons. 

Plant  late  seed-potatoes. 

Bait  for  cutworms. 

Set  out  from  frames  tomatoes  and  all  squashes. 

Sow  bush  limas  and  pole-beans. 

Set  out  sprouted  potatoes,  eggplants,  and  peppers. 

Last  spring  planting  of  radish  and  cress. 

Balance  your  accounts. 


384  PLANTING   TABLE 

JUNE 

Sow  Romaine  lettuces. 
Sow  pole  limas. 

Spray  with  Bordeaux,  melons,  squashes,  cucumber. 
Keep  the  weeds  down. 
Sow  summer  and  winter  radishes. 
Finish  planting  out  all  tender  seedlings  from  frames. 
In  spraying,  reach  all  parts  of  the  plant  except  the  blossom. 
Set  out  winter  celery. 
Thin  all  outdoor  plantings. 
Watch  for  cutworms. 
Be  sure  all  poles  and  trellises  are  set. 
Begin  spraying  potatoes. 
Fertilize  asparagus  after  cutting. 
Stake  and  tie  your  tomatoes. 
Set  out  late  cabbage  and  cauliflower. 
Spray  peppers  and  eggplant  whenever  you  spray  potatoes. 
Pinch  back  cucumbers  and  marrows  if  they  don't  set  fruit. 
Put  away  frames  and  sash. 
Prune  tomatoes. 

Cultivate  regularly.     (Don't  brush  against  young  beans  when 
wet.) 

Watch  for  the  cabbage  and  onion  maggots. 
Spray  potatoes  whenever  the  old  spray  washes  off. 
Take  up  your  tulips. 
Balance  your  accounts. 

JULY 

Set  out  late  celery. 

Pick  okra  and  kohl-rabi  before  they  get  stringy. 

Prune  your  tomatoes. 

Pinch  back  your  melons  and  squashes  if  they  run  to  vine. 

Spray  potatoes  whenever  the  fresh  tips  show  plentifully. 

Keep  the  cultivator  running. 


PLANTING  TABLE  385 

Set  strawberry  runners  in  pots  for  transplanting. 

Watch  for  squash-bugs'  eggs. 

Watch  for  the  cabbage  worm. 

Order  potted  strawberry  plants. 

Prune  your  tomatoes. 

Watch  for  corn-smut. 

Pick  squash  bugs  into  kerosene. 

Tie  cauliflowers  whenever  the  heads  grow  large. 

Balance  your  accounts. 

AUGUST 

Sow  endive  for  fall  use. 
Prune  your  tomatoes. 

Two  or  three  sprayings  of  potatoes  are  not  enough. 
Write  for  bulb  catalogue. 
Sow  peas  and  lettuce  for  the  fall. 
Begin  sowing  crimson  clover  for  a  cover-crop. 
Prune  your  tomatoes. 
Order  bulbs  for  fall  delivery. 
Plant  Madonna  lilies. 
Transplant  peonies. 

Sow  seed  of  such  perennials  as  foxglove,  larkspur,  Canterbury 
bell. 

Cultivate  regularly  through  a  drought. 
Sow  forcing  varieties  of  radish. 
Begin  to  dig  early  potatoes. 
Sow  winter  spinach. 
Balance  your  accounts. 

SEPTEMBER 

Allow  tomatoes  to  set  no  more  fruit. 
Watch  for  early  frosts. 
Set  out  your  cold-frames. 
Set  lettuce  and  endive  in  frames. 
2c 


386  PLANTING   TABLE 

Set  boards  alongside  your  early  celery. 
Begin  potting  house-plants. 

Leave  late  potatoes  as  long  as  tops  are  green,  except  in  a  wet 
season. 

Change  cover-crop  to  winter  vetch. 
Begin  earthing  late  celery. 
Take  up  gladioli,  cannas,  and  dahlias. 
Dig  potatoes  as  soon  as  tops  are  killed. 
Transplant  hardy  perennials. 
Balance  your  accounts. 

OCTOBER 

Continue  earthing  of  celery. 

Begin  planting  and  potting  of  bulbs. 

In  digging  Jerusalem  artichoke,  leave  none  to  sprout  in  spring . 

Change  cover-crop  to  rye. 

Get  carrots  out  of  the  ground. 

Finish  all  transplantings. 

Continue  earthing  up  celery. 

Lift  lily-of-the- valley,  and  pot  for  winter. 

Balance  your  accounts. 

NOVEMBER 

Spade  all  unseeded  ground. 

Begin  to  house  winter  celery. 

Rake  leaves,  but  don't  burn  them. 

Bed  your  perennials  with  leaves  or  coarse  manure. 

Get  all  tools  under  cover. 

Get  in  your  sash. 

Cover  strawberries  after  a  few  heavy  freezes. 

Mulch  winter  spinach. 

Balance  your  accounts. 


PLANTING   TABLE  387 

DECEMBER 

Be  sure  everything  is  neat  about  the  place. 
Balance  your  accounts  for  the  month  and  the  year. 
Study  your  ledger  account  to  see  where  you  can  do  better  next 
year. 

Study  your  note-book  and  begin  to  make  next  year's  plans. 


THE  DRAINAGE   OF  A  GARDEN 

DRAINING  is  nothing  else  than  laying  some  material  below  the 
ground,  in  regular  channels,  to  carry  away  water.  Sometimes 
men  are  satisfied  with  digging  ditches,  laying  in  hay  or  straw 
lengthwise  of  the  ditch,  and  covering  again.  That  is  very  unsatis- 
factory, for  the  effect  will  scarcely  last  for  more  than  a  year.  A 
better  way  is  to  fill  the  bottom  of  the  ditches,  to  the  depth  of  a  foot, 
with  cobble-stones,  covering  with  sod  or  hay.  This  will  last  for 
some  years ;  but  since  the  earth  will  finally  sift  in,  it  is  not  perma- 
nent. Best  of  all  is  to  lay  drain-tiles,  which  are  hollow  earthen  pipe, 
about  two  feet  long.  Sometimes  the  ends  are  shaped  to  fit  each 
other,  sometimes  they  simply  meet  squarely.  In  either  case  tar- 
paper,  or  sod,  or  something  of  the  sort,  is  laid  to  prevent  the  earth 
from  sifting  in.  Then  the  drains,  if  laid  below  frost,  will  last  for 
years ;  and  if  by  any  chance  they  become  clogged,  they  can  be  dug 
up,  cleaned,  and  laid  again. 

The  principle  of  laying  drains  is  of  course  to  lead  the  water  to 
some  lower  level.  Therefore  the  bottoms  of  the  ditches  should 
slope  downward  to  some  spot  where  the  water  can  be  discharged. 
Perhaps  this  is  into  a  brook,  or  on  to  some  low  meadow.  But  the 
drains  can  be  simply  led  into  a  "dry  well,"  a  deep  hole,  best  in  a 
sandy  spot,  which  is  dug,  filled  with  stones,  and  then  covered  in. 
Into  this  the  water  drains,  and  from  it  it  finds  its  way  into  the 
subsoil. 

If  you  propose  to  lay  the  drain  yourself,  draw,  on  a  map  of  the 
garden,  on  which  you  have  marked  the  slope  of  the  land,  lines  from 
twenty  to  forty  feet  apart,  according  to  the  sogginess  of  your  ground. 
Make  the  lines  run  with  the  slope,  connect  them  all  at  the  bottom 
with  another  line,  still  running  as  nearly  as  possible  with  the  slope, 
and  so  often  somewhat  diagonal  to  the  first  ones.  Lead  this  line 

388 


THE  DRAINAGE  OF  A   GARDEN  389 

to  your  dry  well  or  your  point  of  discharge,  and  your  plan  is  made. 
If  your  garden  has  no  slope,  make  a  similar  plan  leading  to  the  most 
convenient  outlet. 

All  this  must  be,  of  course,  drawn  exactly  to  the  proper  scale, 
on  which  inches  or  half  inches  shall  represent  feet.  Now  take  the 
map  to  the  garden,, and  carefully  lay  it  out,  using  compasses  and 
measuring  lines.  Then  carefully  dig  your  ditches  to  the  right 
depth.  They  should  be  at  least  two  feet  deep,  since  no  water  should 
stand  higher  than  that  in  the  soil.  But  tile  drains  are  likely  to  be 
thrown  out  of  line  by  the  thawing  and  heaving  of  the  frozen  ground, 
so  that  they  should  be  set  below  frost,  which  may  be  three  feet  or 
more.  Old  gardeners  or  stone-masons  in  your  town  can  tell  how 
deep  the  frost  usually  strikes  into  the  soil  in  winter.  The  bottoms 
of  the  ditches  should  be  carefully  graded,  preserving  a  regular  slope 
all  the  way,  with  no  pockets  or  cups  in  them.  If  possible,  the  lower 
part  of  the  grade  should  be  quicker  than  the  first.  The  outlet 
ought  to  be  above  the  level  of  standing  water.  To  do  all  this  is  a 
delicate  task ;  you  must  have  a  mason's  level,  and  if  you  can  work 
with  a  surveyor's,  so  much  the  better. 

The  tile  should  be  carefully  set  in  the  ditches,  and  held  in  place 
by  little  stones.  See  that  the  ends  fit  exactly.  For  this  purpose, 
the  larger  the  tiles,  the  better.  Three-inch  tile  is  the  smallest  that 
it  is  wise  to  use  in  drains  of  any  length,  though  for  short  runs  you 
may  use  smaller.  Where  the  branches  of  the  drains  join,  use  Y's 
rather  than  T's  (that  is,  acute-  rather  than  right-angle  pieces). 
Cover  each  joint  with  tar-paper,  sod  (upside  down  !),  or  hay;  and 
itop  the  end  of  the  drain,  if  it  is  not  to  be  covered,  with  galvanized 
netting.  Then  shovel  in  the  earth  all  along  the  line,  the  subsoil 
first,  the  loam  last. 

If  your  soil  abounds  in  large,  flat  stones,  and  you  are  clever  in 
constructing  a  tunnel  with  them,  you  can  get  rid  of  the  stones,  and 
at  the  same  time  drain  your  land,  without  the  cost  of  tile. 


TRENCHING 

THE  loam  of  our  gardens,  except  in  very  fortunate  districts,  is 
seldom  more  than  a  foot  deep.  Trenching  is  a  method  of  deepen- 
ing it  by  so  enriching  the  subsoil  that  it  turns  to  loam. 

For  this  purpose  we  need  to  have  at  hand  plenty  of  material  for 
the  purpose ;  that  is,  anything  which  in  the  course  of  a  year  or  two 
will  rot  thoroughly.  Manure  is  the  best,  but  any  vegetable  matter, 
hay,  cornstalks,  weeds,  the  tops  of  our  garden  plants,  no  matter 
how  coarse,  is  suitable  for  the  purpose. 

For  a  small  patch  or  bed,  the  best  method  is  to  throw  off  all  the 
loam,  and  spade  the  material  into  the  subsoil,  throwing  the  loam 
back  again. 

For  the  vegetable  garden  or  a  large  bed  such  a  process  is  too 
difficult,  since  the  first  foot  of  the  ground  would  have  to  be  moved 
twice.  The  method  in  such  a  case  is  as  follows : 

Imagine  the  garden  cut  into  pairs  of  strips,  each  strip  three  or 
four  feet  wide.  Imagine  the  strips,  again,  cut  into  squares  of  three 
or  four  feet.  Then  dig  them  as  follows,  beginning  at  one  end  of 
the  first  strip. 

From  the  first  two  squares  throw  off  the  loam,  and  pile  it  at  the 
end,  near  by. 

From  the  first  square  throw  out  a  foot  of  subsoil,  and  pile  it. 

From  the  second  square  throw  the  subsoil  into  the  first  square, 
mixing  in  the  enriching  material  in  layers,  first  a  layer  of  the  mate- 
rial, then  one  of  subsoil,  a  few  inches,  then  the  material  again,  and 
so  on.  Use  the  material  as  freely  as  possible ;  the  more  you  give, 
the  richer  the  soil  will  be.1 

Now  from  the  third  square  throw  the  loam  to  the  first  square, 
and  the  subsoil  to  the  second  square. 

From  the  fourth  square  throw  the  loam  to  the  second  square, 
and  the  subsoil  to  the  third  square. 

1  If,  before  you  throw  anything  into  each  empty  square,  you  spade  some 
of  the  material  into  the  ground  below,  so  much  the  better. 

390 


TRENCHING  391 

From  the  fifth  square  throw  the  loam  to  the  third  square,  and  the 
subsoil  to  the  fourth  square. 

Proceed  in  this  manner  to  the  end  of  the  strip,  always  mixing 
your  enriching  material  with  the  subsoil,  when  in  the  next  to  the 
last  square  you  will  have  subsoil  only,  and  in  the  last  square,  to 
the  depth  of  two  feet,  you  will  have  nothing. 

Begin  now  the  second  strip,  working  backward.  From  the  first 
square  pitch  the  loam  into  the  next  to  last  square  in  the  first  strip, 
and  pitch  the  subsoil  into  the  last  square  in  the  first  strip. 

From  the  second  square  throw  the  loam  into  the  last  square  in 
the  first  strip,  and  throw  the  subsoil  into  the  first  square  in  the 
second  strip. 

The  trenching  of  the  first  strip  is  now  complete,  and  the  second 
strip  is  ready  to  be  trenched,  in  squares,  as  the  first  strip  was. 
Proceed  with  the  work  until  at  the  end  of  the  strip  we  find  that  the 
next  to  the  last  square  has  subsoil  only,  and  the  last  square,  to  the 
depth  of  two  feet,  has  nothing  at  all. 

Into  the  last  square  pitch  the  pile  of  subsoil  waiting  from  the 
first  row. 

Into  both  the  last  two  squares  pitch  the  pile  of  loam  that  is  wait- 
ing from  the  first  strip. 

The  pair  of  strips  are  now  entirely  trenched,  and  the  earth,  ex- 
cept that  from  the  first  two  squares,  has  been  handled  but  once. 
The  subsoil  has  several  layers  of  vegetable  material  which  will 
rot  and  enrich  it.  Other  pairs  of  strips  can  now  be  trenched  until 
the  work  is  finished.  The  surface  will  be  rough,  and  can  be  left 
so  over  winter,  or  smoothed  for  immediate  planting. 

The  work  need  not  be  done  all  at  once,  since  it  is  laborious  and 
expensive.  It  took  me  some  years,  working  as  I  had  time  and  mate- 
rial, to  trench  the  whole  of  my  garden. 


TABLE  OF  THE  LENGTH  OF  LIFE,  AND  THE 
SPACE  VALUES,  OF  VEGETABLE  SEEDS 

(Flower  seeds,  except  those  of  sweet  pea  and  a  very  few  others, 
are  for  small  gardens  usually  bought  by  the  packet,  and  usually  a 
single  packet  is  enough.  For  a  small  garden,  also,  a  single  packet 
of  cabbage,  cauliflower,  and  other  such  vegetable  seeds  is  commonly 
enough.  In  the  table,  distances  refer  to  ounces,  unless  quarts  are 
named.  The  years  show  the  time  in  which  seeds  are  still  strong 
enough  to  sprout.) 

Artichoke,  Globe.     5  yrs.     30  ft. 

Beans.     Pole  string.     3  yrs.     Quart,  150  hills. 

Dwarf  string.     3  yrs.     Quart,  200  ft. 

Pole  lima.     Quart,  100  hills. 

Dwarf  lima.     Quart,  200  ft. 
Beet.     6  yrs.     60  ft. 

Brussels  Sprout.     3  yrs.     3000  plants.     Buy  by  the  packet. 
Cabbage.     4  yrs.     2500  plants.     Buy  by  the  packet. 
Carrot.     5  yrs.     300  feet. 

Cauliflower.     3  yrs.     3000  plants.     Buy  by  the  packet. 
Celery.     7  yrs.     5000  to  10,000  plants. 
Chard.     6  yrs.     50  ft. 

Corn.     2  yrs.     (Test  beforehand.)     Quart,  150  or  more  hills. 
Cress.     (Peppergrass)     5  yrs.     100  ft. 
Cucumber.     10  yrs.     75  hills. 
Eggplant.     6  yrs.     2500  plants. 
Endive.     8  yrs.     200  ft. 
Kale.     7  yrs.     250ft.     2500  plants. 
Kohl-rabi.     4  yrs.     200  ft.     1500  plants. 
Leek.     2  or  3  yrs.     150  ft. 
Lettuce.     5  yrs.     300ft.     1000  plants. 
Muskmelon.     10  yrs.     75  hills. 

392 


TABLE  OF  VEGETABLE  SEEDS         393 

Okra.     5  yrs.     50  ft. 

Onion.     2  yrs.     100  ft. 

Parsley.     2  yrs.     Packet  is  enough. 

Parsnip.     1  yr.     400  ft. 

Pea  (including  sweet  pea).     3  yrs.     Quart,  100  ft. 

Pepper.     4  yrs.     '2000  plants.     Packet  is  enough. 

Radish.     5  yrs.     125  ft.     Summer  and  winter  kinds,  3-400  ft. 

Salsify.     2  yrs.     60  ft. 

Sea-kale.     1  yr.     300  plants. 

Spinach.     5  yrs.     150  ft. 

Spinach,  New  Zealand.     5  yrs.     50  ft.     25  hills.     Packet  is  enough. 

Squash.     4  yrs.     Bush,  50  hills. 

Running,  25  hills. 

These  figures  include  marrows. 
Tomato.     12  yrs.     2000  to  2500  plants. 

Get  packets  of  two  or  three  different  kinds. 
Turnip.     8  yrs.     2000  to  3000  plants. 
Watermelon.     Six  years.     30  hills. 


INDEX 


Accounts,  43-47,  380-387. 

Acid,  100,  103,  306. 

Actinidia,  227. 

Adam's  Needle.     See  Yucca. 

Agerat-um,  311. 

Air,  in  soil,  87. 

Akebia,  227. 

Alfalfa,  106. 

Almond,  208. 

Alyssum,  179,  180,  181,  182,  312. 

Ammoniacal  copper  carbonate,  289. 

Ampelopsis,  224. 

Anemone,   Japanese,    113,    193,    197, 

199,  200,  312. 
Annuals,  73,  110,  219. 
Anther,  4. 

Antirrhinum.     See  Snapdragon. 
Aphis,  143,  218,  284,  286,  287,  292. 
Apple,  5,  207,  237,  287. 
Aquilegia.     See  Columbine. 
Arbor  vitse,  212. 
Arsenate  of  lead,  286. 
Artichoke,  Globe,  162,  312,  391. 
Artichoke,   Jerusalem,   27,    172,   203, 

205,  313,  383,  386. 
Asparagus,   101,  110,   161,   193,   194, 

195,  197,  198,  313-315,  381,  382, 

384. 
Aster,   73,    110,    114,    154,    156,    161, 

165,  180,  181,  182,  183,  184,  197, 

199,  280,  287,  315-316. 
Atomizers,  285. 
Azalea,  208. 

Bachelor's   button.     See  Cornflower. 

Bacteria,  82,  104,  105,  291. 

Balm,  316. 

Balsam,  5,  77,  114,  180,  181,  183,  316. 

Barberry,  208,  211. 

Barometer,  157. 


Basic  slag,  257,  306. 

Basil,  317. 

Baskets,  20,  242. 

Beans,  14,  19,  21,  22,  49,  51,  52,  53, 
54,  55,  61,  65,  73,  74,  101,  105, 
106,  114,  169,  184,  186,  187,  188, 

189,  190,  191,  221,  263,  274,  298, 
301,  302,  303,  317-318,  383,  384, 
391. 

Bedding  for  winter,  31-32. 

Bees,  4,  5,  9. 

Beets,  19,  52,  101,  185,  186,  187,  189, 

190,  191,  275,  319,  382,  383,  391. 
Begonia,  77,  78,  79,  319. 
Bell-glasses,  164. 

Belvidere.     See  Kochia. 
Biennials,  111,  195. 
Birds,  292-294. 
Bitter-sweet,  227. 
Blackberry,  76,  80,  234,  268. 
Black-eyed  Susan.     See  Cone-flower. 
Blanket  flower.     See  Gaillardia. 
Bleeding  Heart,  197,  199,  320. 
Boltonia,  75,  320. 
Bone  dust,  142. 

Bone  meal,  141,  217,  237,  267,  306. 
Borage,  320. 

Bordeaux  mixture,  144,  148,  289. 
Box,  208,  211. 
Broccoli,  321. 

Brussels  sprouts,  185,  186,  321,  391. 
Buckthorn,  208. 

Bulbs,  28-30,  34,  39,  42,  76,  134,  161, 
177,  201-203,  267,  385,  386. 

Cabbage,  20,  22,  52,  101,  114,  129, 
154,  162,  167,  186,  187,  189,  190, 

191,  286,  321-323,  383,  384,  391. 
Calendula,   114,   156,   179,   180,   181, 

323. 


395 


396 


INDEX 


California  poppy,  323. 

Calla,  39. 

Calliopsis.     See  Coreopsis. 

Calyx,  3. 

Campanula.     See  Canterbury  bell. 

Candytuft,  114,  179,  180,  181,  323. 

Canna,  203-205,  324,  383,  386. 

Canterbury  bell,   13,   195,    196,   197, 

199,  324,  385. 
Capillarity,  91. 
Caraway,  325. 
Carbon,  98. 
Carbon  dioxid,  104. 
Cardinal  flower,  197,  346. 
Cardoon,  162. 

Carnation,  154,  161.     See  also  Pink. 
Carrot,   19,   27,   101,   114,   127,   186, 

189,  190,  270,  325,  386,  391. 
Castor  bean,  326. 
Cat,  294. 
Catnip,  326. 
Caulicle,  50. 
Cauliflower,  26,   101,   114,   162,   164, 

167,  186,  187,  189,  190,  326,  383, 

384,  385,  391. 
Celery,   21,   31,    101,    114,   186,    187, 

326-328,  382,  383,  384,  386,  391. 
Celosia.     See  Cockscomb. 
Centaurea.     See  Cornflower. 
Chard,  Frontispiece,    101,    189,    190, 

329,  391. 

Cheesecloth,  165-167,  381. 
Chemistry  of  plants,  97-103. 
Cherry,  208,  237. 
Chives,  329. 
Chrysanthemum,  194,  195,  197,  199, 

200,  329. 

Give.     See  Chives. 
Clarkia,  330. 

Clay,    84,    85,     90,     174.     See    also 

Soil. 

Clematis,  223-224. 
Clove-pink.     See  Pink. 
Clover,  52,  62,  63,  99,  105,  106,  237, 

302,  385. 

Cobaea  scandens,  222. 
Cockscomb,  181,  330. 
Cold-frames,  142,  152,  153,  160,  161, 

381,  385. 


Collars  against  cutworms,  282,  288. 
Columbine,  7,   10,   11,   13,   193,   195, 

197,  199,  200,  331. 
Companion  cropping,  177,  186. 
Compost,  227,  266,  267,  278. 
Compost   heap,    16,    210,    248,    287, 

302-303. 
Compounds,  97. 
Cone-flower,  331. 
Contact  insecticides,  256,  286. 
Copper  carbonate  solution,  218. 
Coreopsis  (calliopsis) ,  114,  179,  180, 

181,  331. 
Corms,  76,  114. 
Corn,  4,  6,  9,  10,  11,  12,  13,  14,  15,  16, 

19,  50,  51,  52,  53,  54,  55,  58-61, 

64,  101,  107,  186,  187,  188,  190, 

191,  273,  300,  301,  304,  331-333, 

383,  391. 

Cornflower,  180,  181,  183,  333. 
Corn  smut,  332,  385. 
Corolla,  3. 
Cosmos,  25,  114,  180,  181,  182,  183, 

333. 

Cotoneaster,  208. 
Cotyledons,  49,  53,  54,  55,  129. 
Cover  crop,  27,  99,  168,  190,  237,  302, 

385,  386. 

Cress,  185,  193,  259,  334,  383,  391. 
Crocus,  28,  29,  36,  76,  202. 
Crow,  293. 
Cucumber,  13,  21,  52,  57,  101,  109, 

123,  161,  187,  190,  334,  383,  384, 

391. 

Cucurbits,  123-125,  132,  190. 
Cultivation,  92-93,  128,  270,  271,  290, 

296,  304,  384,  385. 
Cultivator.     See  Wheel-hoe. 
Currants,  234,  286. 
Currant  worm,  235,  284. 
Cuttings,  77-80,  136. 
Cutworm,    276,    282,  287,  288,  383, 

384. 

Cypress,  Summer.     See  Kochia. 
Cypress  wood,  150,  227. 

Daffodil,  36. 

Dahlia,  25,  27,  74,  75,  203,  205,  266- 
267,  335,  380,  383,  386. 


INDEX 


397 


Daisy,  English,  197,  335. 

Daisy,    Michaelmas.     See   Perennial 

aster,  315. 

Daisy,    Shasta.     See    Annual    chry- 
santhemum, 329. 
Daisy,   South  African.     See  Dimor- 

potheca.  » 

Damping  off,  128,  129,  157. 
Dandelion,  308,  309. 
Daphne,  207. 

Delphinium.     See  Larkspur. 
Depth  to  plant,  53,  122,  264,  280. 
Deutzia,  208. 
Dibber,  244,  279,  280. 
Dicentra.     See  Bleeding  heart. 
Digging.     See  Spading. 
Digitalis.     See  Foxglove. 
Dimorpotheca,    179,    180,    181,    183, 

335-336. 

Diseases  of  plants,  144,  288-290. 
Distances    to    plant,    177,    185-187, 

209-211,  311.     See  also  Planting 

list. 

Dogwood,  208. 
Drainage,   30,   35-36,   90,    117,    119, 

134-135,  142,  174,  217,  249-250, 

304,  387-388. 
Drill  planting,  264. 

Earth.     See  Soil.    • 

Egg  plant,    13,    114,  156,    162,    186, 

187,  336,  382,  383,  384,  391. 
Elder,  208. 
Elements,  97. 

Endive,  186,  187,  190,  336,  385,  391. 
Equipment  account,  45. 
Eschscholtzia.    See  California  poppy. 
Evaporation,  69. 
Exhibiting,  21-23. 
Exposure  (for  garden),  173,  174. 
Express  wagon,  243. 

Farmers'  Bulletins,  62,  63. 
Fennel,  162. 
Ferns,  337. 

Fertilizer,  44,  99-102,  142,  217,  237, 
265,  267,  274,  278,  282,  306,  308. 
Filament,  4. 
Flame-flower.     See  Phlox. 


Flats,  116-132,  155,  380. 

Flea-beetle,  284,  286. 

Flies,  16,  108. 

Float,  122. 

Florist,  216,  239. 

Floss-flower.     See  Ageratum. 

Flower,  2,  3,  16-18,  20,  23. 

Flower  beds,  177. 

Flower  borders,  177,  178. 

Flower  garden,  171,  177-182,  210. 

Flowering  plants,  10,    101,  114,  140- 

144,  177-182,  192-200,  311.     See 

also    separately    in    Index    and 

Planting  table. 

Flowers  of  Sulphur,  114,  362,  380. 
Forget-me-not,    13,    114,    195,    197, 

199,  200,  237. 
Fork,  240,  254. 
Formaldehyde,  360,  380,  383. 
Forsythia,  80,  207. 
Foxglove,  3,  10,  13,  57,  170,  195,  196, 

197,  199,  337,  385. 
Freesia,  36. 
Frost,  25-27,  31,  37,  94-95,  168,  170, 

173,  263,  276,  381,  383,  385. 
Fruit,  5,  6. 

Fruit  garden,  228-237,  382. 
Fuchsia,  77. 
Fungus,  144. 

Gaillardia,  197,  199,  338. 

Gardening,  1. 

Geranium,  35,  69,  77,  78,  109. 

Gilliflower.     See  Stock. 

Gladiolus,  25,  39,  134,  201,  202,  338, 

380,  383,  386. 
Gloxinia,  78,  142. 
Godetia,  114,  339. 
Golden  glow,  75,  197,  200,  239. 
Gooseberry,  6,  77,  234,  235. 
Gourd,  123,  221. 
Grape,  77,  80,  227,  235. 
Green  manuring,  105. 
Gumbo.     See  Okra. 

Hardpan,  90,  174. 
Hardy  plants,  25,  110,  263. 
Hawks,  293. 
Heartsease.     See  Pansy. 


398 


INDEX 


Hedges,  211. 

Helenium,  197,  199,  339. 

Helianthus.     See  Sunflower. 

Heliotrope,  339. 

Hellebore,  286. 

Hemlock,  212. 

Herbaceous,  75,  111,  219. 

Herbs,  340. 

Hill  planting,  187,  265-266. 

Hoe,  240,  272. 

Hoeing,  258. 

Hollyhock,    13,    195,    197,    199,   200, 

209,  211,  340. 
Honeysuckle,  208,  225. 
Horehound,  341. 
Horse-radish,  80. 
Hot-beds,  146-152,  153-160,  381. 
House-plants,  141-144,  386. 
Humus,  86,  103-108,  291. 
Hyacinth,  28,  29,  36,  38. 
Hydrangea,  208. 

Ink,  41,  42. 

Insects,  284-287,  291-292. 
Ipomcea,  341. 

Iris,  27,  75,  195,  197,  199,  200,  210, 
268,  341. 

Jay,  293. 
Jonquil,  36. 

Kale,  341-342,  391. 
Kerosene  emulsion,  286,  287. 
Kerria,  208. 
Knapsack  sprayer,  285. 
Kochia,  342. 

Kohl-rabi,  14,  185,  187,  189,  190,  342, 
384,  391. 

Labels,  123,  155,  241,  266,  382. 
Labor,  accounting  of,  43—44,  47. 
Ladybug  (ladybird),  292. 
Larkspur,  7,   10,    13,   111,    195,   196, 

197,  199,  200,  211,  343,  385. 
Laurel,  208. 
Lavender,  343. 
Lawn,  304-309,  382. 
Layering,  76. 
Leaf,  the  work  of  the,  71,  102. 


Leaf -roller,  218. 

Leaves,  32,  170,  386. 

Leek,  343,  391. 

Legume,  67,  105. 

Lettuce,  3,  15,  52,  54,  55,  101,  109, 

111,  154,  161,  164,  165,  177,  185, 

186,    187,    189,    190,    191,    193, 

259,    269,    275,    280,    343-345, 

381,  383,  384,  385,  391. 
Lilac,  208,  211. 
Lilies,  28,  29,  39,  76,  100,  134,  202, 

203,  345,  380,  383,  385. 
Lily-of-the-valley,    27,    38,    39,    171, 

193,  195,  197,  199,  200,  345,  386. 
Lime,  95,  102,  257,  306. 
Line,  241,  278. 
Line-a-day  book,  42. 
Liquid  manure.     How  to  make,  102. 

Use  of,  274,  282,  311. 
Litmus  test,  103,  173,  306. 
Loam,  83,  85-87.  See  also  under 

Soil. 

Lobelia,  346. 
Logan-berry,  237. 
London  Pride.     See  Lychnis. 
Long-season  plants,  177,  185,  263. 
Lupine,  11,  13,  346. 
Lychnis,  347. 

Madonna  lily.  (See  also  Lilies.) 
28,  29,  39,  203,  385. 

Maggots,  167,  287,  384. 

Management  of  garden,  296-303. 

Manure,  28,  33-35,  44,  89,  93,  99, 
102,  105,  106-108,  147,  152,  160, 
169,  174,  208,  217,  227,  254, 
256-267,  259,  266,  267,  274,  278, 
282,  306,  308,  311,  382,  386. 

Marigold.  (For  Pot  marigold  see 
Calendula.)  114,  156,  180,  181, 
182,  183,  347. 

Marjoram,  347. 

Marl,  257. 

Marrow,  101,  123,  161,  186,  190,  384. 
See  also  Squash. 

Marshmallow,  348. 

Mats,  152. 

Mealy-bug,  144. 

Melon.     See  Muskmelon. 


INDEX 


399 


Mice,  37. 

Mignonette,   13,  179,  180,   181,   182, 

183,  348. 

Mildew,  144,  218. 
Mint,  348. 
Mock-orange,  208. 
Moonflower,  222.          t 
Morning-glory,  222. 
Mourning-bride.     See  Scabiosa. 
Mowing  lawn,  307. 
Mulberry,  237. 
Mulch,  93,  169,  170. 
Muskmelon,   6,    101,    110,    123,    124, 

161,  162,  167,  185,  190,  348,  383, 

384,  391. 

Narcissus,  28,  29,  36,  38. 
Nasturtium,  4,  5,   13,  25,   154,   179, 

180,  181,  182,  222,  263,  349. 
Neatness,  302. 
Nesting  boxes,  293. 
Nicotiana,  350. 
Nine-bark,  208. 

Nitrate  of  soda,  102,  274,  282,  311. 
Nitrogen,  98,  102,  104,  105,  106,  107. 
Note-book,  41-43. 
Nurserymen,  207. 

Okra,  13,  14,  52,  186,  187,  350,  384, 

391. 

Oleaster,  208. 
Onion,    19,   76,    101,    114,    127,    185, 

186,    187,    188,    189,    190,    271, 

351,  382,  383,  391. 
Osmosis,  66,  68-69,  101. 
Ostrich  feather.     See  Cockscomb. 
Ovary,  4,  5,  6. 
Owls,  293. 
Oyster  plant.     See  Salsify. 

Paeony.     See  Peony. 
Painted-tongue.     See  Salpiglossis. 
Pansy,   5,    169,    171,    179,    180,    181, 

182,  351. 
Paris  Green,  286. 
Parsley,  101,  114,  186,  353,  391. 
Parsnip,  10,  101,  186,  353,  391. 
Pea,  6,  7,  13,  14,  15,  16,  54,  55,  56, 

73,  101,  106,  114,  169,  184,  185, 


186,  189,  190,  191,  298,  353,  382, 

383,  385,  391. 
Peach,  6,  207. 
Pear,  5,  237. 
Pencil,  41. 
Peony,  10,  27,  73,  110,  161,  170,  193, 

194,    195,    197,    199,    200,    268, 

355,  385. 
Pepper,  13,  114,  156,  162,  186,  187, 

355,  356,  382,  383,  384,  391. 
Peppergrass.     See  Cress. 
Perennials,    75,    111,    193-200,    382, 

386. 

Pericarp,  6,  7. 
Petunia,  5,  10,  13,  17,  114,  179,  180, 

181,  182,  183,  356-357. 
Phosphorus,  98,  102. 
Picking,  3-23,  42,  298. 
Pie-plant.     See  Rhubarb. 

Pinks,  114,  179,  180,  181,  197,  359- 

360. 

Piper-grass.     See  Witch-grass. 
Pistil,  3,  4,  5. 
Plans,    41,    176-192,    197,    199-200, 

263,  380. 

Plant  enemies,  284-290,  298. 
Plant  friends,  291-294. 
Planting,  263-268. 
Planting  list,  311-379. 
Planting  machines,  246. 
Planting  table,  380-387. 
Planting  trough,  155. 
Plants,    1-7,    65-72,    73-81,   97-103, 

109-114. 
Plumule,  50. 
Plunging  pots,  156. 
Poisons,  285-286. 
Poker  plant,  197,  360. 
Pollen,  4,  5. 
Poplar,  77. 
Poppy,  4,  5,  7,  9,  10, 11,  13,  180,  181, 

182,  183,  197,  199,  360. 
Portulaca,  12,  361. 
Potash,  98,  102. 

Potato,  10,  19,  20,  22,  25,  27,  73,  75, 
98,  101,  102,  106,  169,  186,  187, 
203,  205,  266-267,  289,  298,  304, 
362,  383,  384,  385,  386. 

Potato-bug,  284. 


400 


INDEX 


Pots,  33,  35,  156,  277,  381. 

Potting,  33-39,  134-140. 

Privet,  77,  80,  208,  211. 

Pulling-hoe,  245. 

Pumpkin,    21,    188,    364.      And    see 

Squash. 

Push-hoe,  245,  273. 
Pyrethrum,  364. 

Quack-grass.     See  Witch-grass. 
Quince,  208,  211,  236,  237. 

Radicle  (caulicle),  50. 

Radish,  13,  52,  54,  55,  66,  67,  101, 

154,    161,    177,    185,    187,     189, 

190,  193,  259,  263,  264-265,  381, 

383,  384,  385,  391. 
Raffia,  303. 

Rag-doll  seed-tester,  61. 
Rake,  240,  272,  273. 
Raking,  257-258,  259. 
Rape,  99,  254. 
Raspberry,  79,  80,  232,  233. 
Red-spider,  144. 
Repotting,  138-139,  141. 
Rhododendron,  208. 
Rhubarb,  75,  111,  161,  162,  193,  195, 

197,  365-366,  381,  382. 
Ricinus.     See  Castor  bean. 
Romaine.     See  Lettuce. 
Rose,  77,  208,  211,  213-218,  303. 
Rose-bug,  286,  288. 
Row  planting,  264. 
Rudbeckia.       See    Cone-flower    and 

Golden  glow. 
Ruler,  122. 
Rye,  27,  99,  302,  386. 

Sage.     See  Salvia. 

Sage  (herb),  366. 

Salpiglossis,  367. 

Salsify,  186,  367,  391. 

Salvia,  114,  180,  181,  182,  368. 

Sand-box  seed-tester,  59. 

Sash,  146,  148-149,  151-152,  386. 

Satin-flower.     See  Godetia. 

Sawdust,  257. 

Sawdust-box  seed-tester,  60. 

Scabiosa,  4,  368. 


Scilla,  28,  29. 

Scuffle-hoe,  245. 

Sea-kale,  80,  197,  368-369,  391. 

Seed,  and  its  growth,  1-7,  49-56. 

breeding,  8  ;   selecting,  9-13. 

depth  to  plant,  53-56,  264,  280. 

importance  of  good  seed,  8,  306. 

length  of  life,  390-392. 

needs  in  sprouting,  50-52. 

record  of,  42  ;   account,  44. 

sowing,     122-123,     154-155,    263- 
266,  306,  311. 

testing  of,  57-64. 
Seed-bed,  259,  261,  382. 
Seedlings,  127-132, 135-136,  269-276. 
Seedsman,    42,    182,    191,    239,    285, 

306. 

Seed-trowel,  121,  130. 
Senna,  208. 
Sepals,  3. 

Shading  plants,  281. 
Shooting  birds,  294. 
Short-season  plants,  177,  184,  263. 
Shrike,  293. 

Shrubs,  11,  207-212,  268,  380. 
Shutters,  152. 
Sieves,  119,  246,  259. 
Silt,  84,  85. 
Snapdragon,   2,    114,    179,    180,    181, 

183,  369-370. 
Snowball,  208. 
Sodding,  304. 
Soil,  facts  regarding,  82-96. 

acidity  (sourness),  103,  173,  174. 

early  and  late,  90,  94,  168. 

for  general  garden,  173-174,  311. 

for  lawn,  304. 

for  roses,  217. 

mixtures  of,  33,  34-35,  87,  118,  141, 
150. 

preparing,  248-262. 
Solution,  67,  69,  70,  101. 
Sorrel,  168,  254,  296. 
Sour.     See  Acid,  and  Soil. 
Sowing  seed,  122-123,  154-155,  263- 

268,  306,  311. 
Spade,  240. 

Spading,  27,  168,  240,  250-257,  304- 
305,  382. 


INDEX 


401 


Spearmint.     See  Mint. 

Spinach,  52,  101,  170,  185,  187,  189, 

190,    191,    370,    382,    385,    386, 

392. 
Spinach,  New  Zealand,  190,  371,  383, 

392. 

Spiraea,  208,  210. 
Spraying,  285,  298,  380,  384,  385. 
Spring  and  summer,  110. 
Sprouts.     See  Brussels  sprouts. 
Squash,  5,  6,  11,  12,  13,  14,  25,  52, 

101,    114,    129,    167,    186,    187, 

188,  221,  249,  287,  371-372,  383, 

384,  392. 

Squash  bugs,  287,  385. 
Stakes,  241,  303. 
Stamen,  3,  4. 
Starch,  72. 

Starwort.     See  Perennial  aster. 
Stigma,  5. 
Stock,  114,  179,  180,  181,  182,  183, 

373. 

Stones  in  the  garden,  248,  255. 
Strawberry,  4,  5,  76,  161,  170,  228- 

232,  268,  380,  382,  383,  386. 
Strawberry  box,  125,  135,  281. 
Strawberry  tomato,  162. 
String,  303. 

Subsoil,  90,  173-174,  254,  387-390. 
Succession  cropping,  177,  186. 
Sulphate  of  ammonia,  274. 
Sulphur,  flowers  of,  144,  218. 
Sumac,  208. 
Summer,  110,  112. 
Sunflower,    13,    180,    181,    182,    197, 

199,  373. 

Sweet  pea,  4,  5,  10,  13,  25,  112,  180, 
181,  182,  221,  263,  373-374, 
382,  391. 

Sweet  Sultan.     See  Cornflower. 

Sweet  William,  13,  195,  196,  197,  199, 

200,  374. 

Tamarisk,  208. 
Tender  plants,  110,  263. 
Thermometers  in  frames,  158. 
Thinning,    129,    132,    156,    274-276, 

381. 
Thorns,  208. 

2D 


Thyme,  375. 

Time-table,  263. 

Tip-layering,  76. 

Toads,  291. 

Tobacco,  144,  167',  286. 

Tomato,  5,  6,  9,  10,  12,  13,  52,  55, 

74,  101,  110,  114,  127,  129,  154, 

156,  161,  186,  187,  190,  211,  280, 

375-376,  383,  384,  385,  392. 
Tools,  44,  239-246,  386. 
Top-dressing,  102,  217,  308. 
Transplanting,    130-132,    156,    277- 

282,  386. 

Trellis,  219,  221,  227,  302. 
Trench,  the,  in  spading,  252-254. 
Trenching    the     garden,    250,    389- 

390. 

Tritoma.     See  Poker  plant. 
Trowel,    121,    243,    246,     278,    279, 

280. 

True  leaves,  128-131. 
Trumpet  creeper,  221,  224. 
Tubers,  73,  203-205,  222,  266-267. 
Tulip,  28,  29,  36,  384. 
Turnip,  101,  185,  187,  189,  190,  376, 

392. 

Udo,  162,  197,  377. 

Vegetable  garden,  171,  182-191. 
Vegetable  marrow.     See  Squash. 
Vegetable  oyster.     See  Salsify. 
Vegetables,     13-16,      19-20,     21-23, 

185-190,  197. 
Verbena,  144,  377. 
Vetch,  99,  106,  302,  386. 
Viburnum,  208. 
Vines,  219-228,  380. 
Virginia  creeper,  224. 
Violet,  109,  161,  195,  377. 

Wallflower,  378. 

Water,  88-96,  97. 

Watering,    120,    125,    128,    137,    139, 

142,    156,    277,    278,    281,    299, 

307,  308. 

Watering  pot,  139,  243. 
Watermelons,  123,  378,  392. 
Water  supply,  172. 


402 


INDEX 


Wayfaring  tree,  208. 

Weather,  157. 

Weeders,  244. 

Weeding  hoe,  241. 

Weeds,  62,   168,  249,  269,  296,  303, 

304,  308,  384. 
Weigela,  208. 
Whale-oil  soap,  286. 
Wheelbarrow,  242. 
Wheel-hoe,  245,  260,  272,  274. 
White-grub,  287,  288. 
Willow,  77,  207,  208. 
Windbreak,  150. 
Wineberry,  208,  237. 


Winterberry,  208. 

Wire-worms,  287,  288. 

Wistaria,  225-226. 

Witch-grass,  168,  254,  255,  259-261, 

304. 

Wood  ashes,  237,  257,  306. 
Woody  plants,  111,  219. 
Worm,  82,  291. 

Youth-and-old-age.     See  Zinnia. 
Yucca,  195,  197,  199,  378. 

Zinnia,  73,   114,  179,   180,   181,   182, 
183,  280,  379. 


T 


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Beginnings  in  Agriculture 

BY  ALBERT  RUSSELL  MANN 

Decorated  doth,  illustrated,  I2mo,  341  pages,  $0.75  net 


"  Beginnings  in  Agriculture "  has  been  planned  in 
accordance  with  the  suggestions  made  by  the  Committee 
on  Industrial  Education  in  Schools  for  Rural  Communi- 
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and  eighth  grades.  It  gives  a  broad  and  general  view 
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study :  Soil,  Plants,  and  Animals. 

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On  each  lesson  there  is  given  a  list  of  problems  cover- 
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the  local  applications. 


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Elements  of  Agriculture 

BY   G.    F.   WARREN 

Professor  of  Farm  Crops  and  Farm  Management,  New 
York  State  College  of  Agriculture,  at  Cornell  University 


Cloth,  I2m0)  456  pages,  $1.10  net 
CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION  —  THE    IMPROVEMENT    OF    PLANTS    AND    ANIMALS  —  PROPA- 

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AGEMENT—THE FARM  HOUSE  —  THE  FARM  COMMUNITY—  APPENDIX. 

The  Elements  of  Agriculture  is  the  work  of  an  experienced 
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carried  out  as  far  as  possible  the  recommendations  of  the  com- 
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Publishers  64-66  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


Materials  and  Methods  in 
High  School  Agriculture 


BY  W.  G.  HUMMEL,  M.S. 

Assistant  Professor  of  Agricultural  Education,  University  of  California,  and 

B.  R.  HUMMEL,  B.L.S. 

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The  need  for  agricultural  instruction  in  high  schools  lo- 
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pending largely  upon  agriculture  for  their  prosperity,  has 
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The  Principles  of  Agriculture 
through  the  School  and  Home  Garden 

BY  C.  A.  STEBBINS,  M.S. 

Supervisor  of  Agricultural  Nature  Study  and  Director  of  Rural  School  Extension, 

Chico  State  Normal  School,  Chico,  California. 
Formerly  in  Agricultural  Education  Division,  University  of  California,  Berkeley. 

Cloth,  I2mo,  illustrated,  xxviii  +  380  pages,  $1.00 

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and  practice  of  elementary  agriculture. 

III.  To  create  a  favorable  attitude  on  the  part  of  the  student 

toward  the  study  of  agriculture. 

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V.  To  give  to  teachers  the  aids  by  direction,  suggestion,  and  il- 
lustration that  are  necessary  for  the  successful  teaching  of 
"Agriculture  through  the  Home  and  School  Garden.11 

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nection with  "  The  Beginner's  Garden  Book  "  or  "  Begin- 
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